


Victimology

by Juli



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-03-15 17:59:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 30,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3456563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Juli/pseuds/Juli
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aaron Hotchner is accustomed to investigating crimes, not being the victim of one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part 1 of this story was originally posted in 2008. It is currently unfinished.

Aaron Hotchner entered his house without much enthusiasm. Since Haley had primary custody of Jack, it made sense for her to keep the home that they’d created together. The house Hotch was currently renting was much smaller and lacked all but the most basic of necessities. He was too good of a profiler not to be aware that someone’s environment could mirror their personality. If that was as true of him as it was the average UNSUB, then like his home, Aaron was dark, empty and alone.

It was uncomfortably close to the truth.

With a sigh, Aaron set his bag down. It had been a nastier case than usual; it always was when children were involved, even if those children were teenagers. It was selfish of him, but it was at times like these that he missed Jack the most. Seeing his small son, happy and healthy and blessedly safe, helped lighten the load after one of the dark cases.

Oddly enough, Aaron didn’t miss Haley all that much. He’d loved her once, but that feeling had faded. Or maybe it had just been buried, by both his work and her resentment of it. Aaron had known, when he chose to go back to his team, that there would be a price for his decision. Still, needing a warm body to come home to after a difficult case was hardly a reason to stay married.

Aaron had prepared himself for the consequences of his actions, but he’d been in no way prepared for Jason leaving.

It was ironic. Jason had been waiting for Aaron for years; had warned the younger FBI profiler on more than one occasion that marriage and working for the BAU didn’t mix well. Arrogantly, Aaron had thought his marriage would buck that trend. He was wrong. To add insult to injury, Aaron and Jason had been denying their attraction for a long time and when, finally, Aaron was free to pursue it, Jason was gone.

He’d known that Jason was fragile. Gideon’s nervous breakdown several years earlier had been a clear warning. Aaron had thought, however, that Jason was better, stronger emotionally. That maybe Aaron himself had made some difference. Again, he’d been wrong and while Aaron had been using his time under suspension to futilely try to patch his family together, Jason had broken.

Aaron hadn’t been enough to help him. Just as he hadn’t prevented Spencer from being taken hostage by an insane man, Garcia from being shot, Morgan from being accused of murder and Elle from actually committing one. Maybe Strauss had been right to try and force him out. Aaron had to admit that his track record hadn’t been stellar of late.

He moved into the bedroom, trying his best to leave his morose thoughts behind. As he efficiently stripped, automatically folding his rumpled suit, Aaron’s thoughts wandered back to his team. They’d been through a lot together and, Aaron’s personal feelings aside, the team had actually adjusted to Jason’s abrupt departure far easier than he’d thought they would. Derek was right, though, when he said they’d survive. It wasn’t always pretty, but they were managing.

David Rossi was an unexpected addition. Aaron had fond memories of him as a mentor; Aaron had learned a lot from David when he’d first joined the BAU. Unfortunately, David had taken early retirement and the BAU had changed a lot in the time he’d been gone. David was adjusting to the team as much as they were to him and it wasn’t always smooth going. For Aaron, David’s presence was like an old shoe that had suddenly gotten a hole in it. For the most part, their working relationship was comfortable, but once in while they hit a major snag. To say it was awkward being the supervisor of the man who’d trained Aaron in the first place was a major understatement.

While Jason Gideon and David Rossi were both gifted profilers, they were entirely different men. Jason was all about passionate compassion. Under his influence, Aaron had been learning to lower his emotional walls, at least to Jason. David, on the other hand, could exhibit a cold ruthlessness that was almost scary. That was also influencing Aaron, as evidenced by the way he’d asked the two sets of parents to listen to the recording of one of their daughters dying. It was a necessity, but a cruel one. Aaron had seen the disbelief in the other agents’ eyes at his choice and wasn’t exactly proud of himself, that he’d used David’s suggestion.

Stripped of his clothing, Aaron padded into the bathroom and turned on the shower. With Haley having primary custody of Jack, there was no little boy sweetness for Hotch to use to refresh himself. He’d have to get rid of the stink of a nasty case the old fashioned way, by scrubbing it off.

As if there was water enough in the world to wash him clean.

* * *

Another day, another psycho.

Aaron Hotchner stifled a sigh and contented himself with rubbing his forehead instead. The local detective who was acting as their liaison on the current case was intimidated enough by the BAU’s presence the way it was, it would do no good to reveal his own frustration to the man.

It was at times like this that Aaron was heartily grateful that his child was male. There was no doubt that more women than men were victims of the dangerous UNSUBs that his team tracked. After all he’d seen on the job, Aaron doubted he’d ever be complacent about Jack’s safety, but he had a feeling that he slept a little better at night knowing that Jack was a boy. Sometimes Aaron wondered if the women on the team felt like they had a target painted on their chest, so often were females the victims of the hideous crimes they investigated.

Their current case had taken them to San Francisco. An UNSUB was attacking women, sexually assaulting them before killing them and anchoring their bodies in school swimming pools. The victims were found dressed, but not in the clothing they’d been wearing when they’d been reported as missing. They were all clothed in a modified Catholic schoolgirl uniform. The last victim had been just 16 years old, although from her photograph, she’d looked much older. Aaron hoped that the UNSUB had mistaken her for older too; he hated to think that the killer was going after younger targets.

“All right, we’ve studied the locations where he’s dropped the bodies,” Aaron addressed his team. “Let’s look at the places he’s avoided so far.”

“Should we set up a stake-out, hoping we might catch the next body drop?” Emily Prentiss asked.

Aaron considered, but shook his head. “The schools in the area have all upped their security measures; that should suffice for now.” He looked at JJ as something occurred to him. “When the schools open, could you pull together the school officials in the red zone and talk to them? We want to urge caution.” The latest victim had been discovered during the night, so even though the team had been at work for hours, it was barely dawn.

“Got it,” she nodded, clearly making a mental note. “We don’t want a trigger- happy hired gun to shoot someone who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“I’m confused,” Detective Sanchez, their San Francisco PD liaison, stated. “If we’re not going to set up official surveillance on the schools the murderer hasn’t used yet, why the interest?”

“Because the schools the UNSUB is not using as a body dump might be as significant as the ones he is,” Spencer provided. “Maybe he has a connection and is being careful not to draw suspicion.”

“I’ll have Garcia get on it, see if she can find any conspicuous schools that the UNSUB skipped over,” Morgan said. “Quantico’s three hours ahead of us, she’ll be in the office by now.”

“Good and once she compiles the data, I want those schools checked out,” Aaron ordered. “Teams of two.”

“I can help with that,” Detective Sanchez offered. “I can assign you some uniforms so your people aren’t so spread out.”

The three younger agents nodded and, with the detective in tow, headed off towards the room they’d commandeered as their own. Aaron only belatedly realized that one team member was left.

“And I suppose you’re going to interview Gabrielle Henderson’s parents,” David Rossi theorized. Gabrielle had been the latest victim, the teenager.

Aaron continued to deny himself the luxury of a sigh. David had been a mentor once, but he was a subordinate now. Well, technically, he was a subordinate, even if David didn't act like one most of the time. Since that was the case, Hotch didn’t want to let the other man in too much. He had with Gideon and look where that had gotten him.

“Someone has to,” Aaron said quietly in response to David’s comment. “She didn’t fit the victomology when the report of her disappearance came in, so we didn’t do much background work on her. We didn’t think she was related to our case.”

“And that wasn’t your fault,” David stated. He pushed himself off the wall he’d been leaning on and stepped forward to put a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. “None of us had any idea the UNSUB would go so young. Let me interview the parents; you don’t have to do it.”

Had it been Jason offering, Aaron would have taken him up on it. He and Gideon had worked together closely for a long time; he trusted Jason to pick up the slack when things got too rough. David, although they’d worked together years ago, was too much of an unknown quantity. Aaron felt like the older man was watching him all the time, but with that inscrutable expression David habitually wore, Hotch didn’t know if that was a good thing or not. Still, Aaron was too much of a political creature to totally turn down the assistance. He wasn’t sure yet how far to trust David Rossi, but didn’t want to offend him either.

“How about you come with me?” Aaron suggested a compromise. “I could use the help.”

“I doubt that you any need assistance,” David disagreed with a lopsided smile that indicated he was on to Hotch's ploy. “But I’ll go along for moral support.”

Aaron found himself grateful for the offer; talking to parents of a deceased child was never easy. “I have to give the police chief a quick update and then we can be on our way.”

“I’ll meet you outside,” David agreed, having to raise his voice to be heard over the din of the police business going on around them, the area was bustling despite the earliness of the hour. Rossi turned and went in the opposite direction of where Aaron was headed.

Like most officers of the law, no matter what branch, Aaron was usually hyper-aware of his surroundings. It didn’t help him. Aaron was as startled as anyone when a man he was walking by suddenly screamed and launched himself at him. Aaron went down in a tangle with his assailant, the odor from the other man’s unwashed body overwhelming him almost as much as the physical attack.

Surprised or not, Aaron instinctively kicked his attacker away. Unfortunately, as quick as he acted, it wasn’t soon enough. Agony sliced across Aaron’s belly as the other man stabbed him. He grunted in pain as hands reached to separate them. Still stunned, Aaron lay on the floor panting as the police officers swarmed over his assailant.

“Aaron, are you all right?” David knelt by Hotch’s side and at Aaron’s nod, turned his wrath to the officers surrounding them. “What sort of operation is this, that you don’t even have your prisoners properly secured?”

“He’s bleeding.” Morgan’s terse observation came from Aaron’s other side. He hadn’t even noticed the younger agent approach. “We need an ambulance.”

Aaron sensed he was rapidly losing control of the situation.

“That’s not necessary,” he claimed, gathering himself in an attempt to rise. “It’s just a scratch-. . . .”

His voice trailed off as he managed to get semi-upright. From the way the world spun and blackened at the edges, his wound was a more than a scratch.

“Yeah, right,” Morgan scoffed. “Just sit back, boss man, and let someone else do all the work for a change.”

Aaron closed his eyes for a moment, but only long enough to regain his equilibrium. “David.”

Rossi leaned close. Sometime during the last few moments, David’s arm had gone around Aaron’s back, supporting him. Morgan had gotten a wad of paper towels from somewhere and was pressing them firmly to Hotch’s side. Aaron gasped as the pressure caused the pain to flare up, but quickly bit back a cry. He could see JJ, Reid and Prentiss shouldering their way through the crowd that had already gathered. Spencer, in particular, did not need to see his boss in undue distress; the young man was still reeling from Jason Gideon’s abrupt departure from the FBI.

“David, you’ll have to assume Senior Agent in Charge status until I get back,” Aaron gasped. “We can’t let this incident impact our investigation.”

“You let us worry about the investigation,” David replied gruffly. “You’re going to the hospital.” Before Aaron could comment, David turned his attention to Prentiss. “I want you to stay with him.”

“I don’t need anybody from the team to go with me,” Aaron protested before Prentiss could. “We need everyone on the case. . . .”

Morgan snorted. “And if it was one of us hurt? No way would you let us go to the hospital alone.”

“I’m hardly alone,” Aaron replied, although his sarcasm lacked bite. He didn’t have the energy for it.

“Besides, you just put me in charge,” David interjected. “It’s not your call anymore.”

The EMTs arrived and Rossi pulled back, but not before he squeezed Aaron’s shoulder. “Don’t worry. We’ll keep working on the case and I’ll notify Strauss about what happened.”

Strauss. He’d forgotten about her. Aaron groaned as he realized that this incident would be one more thing his boss could use against him.

“Agent Hotchner,” the EMT asked as she took David’s place next to him. “On a scale of one to ten, how would you describe your pain level?”

“A six,” he answered. Her partner got busy removing the paper towels and the pain sliced through him again. “Maybe a seven.”

She patted his arm. “You’re losing blood, Sir, so we’re going to apply a pressure bandage and start you an IV. First, though, we’re going to help with that pain.”

The EMT gave him a shot and within moments, Aaron was a lot more comfortable. He knew he should be mortified at the number of people that were milling about, all because of what had happened to him, but whatever drug they gave him made him too fuzzy to really care. With a detached air, he watched as JJ and Morgan cleared enough space for the stretcher and soon he was being wheeled out.

Thankfully, Prentiss didn’t try to ride in the ambulance with him.

The visit to the hospital was unpleasant. His wound hurt, but it wasn’t just that Aaron resented the pain. He begrudged the time away from the investigation. The entire time he was being examined and stitched up, Aaron could almost hear the clock ticking. Four women and a teenaged girl were dead already. Aaron wasn’t conceited enough to think that he could solve the case himself, but every member of the team was important. They were less effective without him and if a sixth woman died while he was incapacitated, then Aaron would shoulder a large part of the guilt for her death.

“Well, Agent Hotchner,” the doctor stated as he entered the emergency room cubicle that Aaron had been placed in. “You’re a very lucky man. The puncture wound was deep, but managed to miss all of your organs.”

“Good,” Aaron acknowledged the news as he started to ease himself off the bed.

The doctor’s eyes widened. “Agent Hotchner, that doesn’t mean that you’re ready to be discharged.

Aaron gave him the quelling look that always worked so well on Spencer. “In case you haven’t heard, there’s a serial killer on the loose. I have an investigation to run.”

The glare didn’t work as well on the doctor as it did on Reid. He just returned Aaron’s gaze with a steely one of his own. “You’ve lost blood and we have to keep an eye out for infection. I’ve stitched you up, but you should be admitted, at least overnight.”

“I appreciate your concern,” Aaron shook his head. “But I simply don’t have time.”

“And if you collapse on the job?” The doctor asked pointedly. “What will that do for your investigation?”

Aaron closed his eyes. “What would you do if there was a patient out there, you didn’t know where, and she was going to die if you didn’t find her in time? Could you just lie in a hospital bed under those circumstances?”

When he opened his eyes, the doctor was looking at him with much more sympathy. “I guess not.” He put a hand on Aaron’s arm to keep him from getting up right way. “At least stay here long enough to get the entire IV in you. Besides, we have some medication that we need to send with you and that’ll take some time to prepare.”

“Thank you,” Aaron’s smile was tired, but sincere. “If you could send my colleague in, I’d appreciate it.”

The doctor agreed to do as he asked and left. Aaron lay back, not looking forward to the coming confrontation with Emily. Prentiss had definite ideas of how she thought things should go and wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion. Still, she could have spied on him for Strauss, thus insuring her own rise in the FBI. That she hadn’t done it spoke for her strength of character. Besides, as bad as Emily was, it could have been worse, David could have sent Morgan with him. Derek was a far more effective mother hen than Prentiss.

“They’re not keeping you?” Prentiss demanded as she entered his treatment area. “That’s outrageous.”

“Believe me, the doctor isn’t any more happy about it than you are,” Aaron replied mildly. “But it wasn’t his choice, any more than it’s yours. I’m not staying at the hospital with this UNSUB still unaccounted for.”

Emily’s lips thinned with displeasure. “There is such a thing as being too dedicated.”

Aaron raised one eyebrow. “And there’s such a thing as speaking too openly to your boss.” He softened his voice as a hurt expression crossed her face. “Emily, do you really think I would be able to rest here, when the UNSUB is out there, getting ready to kill again?”

“No, you’re too good at your job,” she admitted reluctantly. She sighed and held up a bag she’d been carrying. “And Rossi is too. He knew you wouldn’t stay in the hospital.”

After taking the bag, Aaron looked inside and grimaced. He knew the clothes he’d been wearing during the attack were either ruined or bagged as evidence. It was thoughtful of David to send him something to wear, but instead of having someone go to the hotel and get another one of Aaron’s suits, Rossi had sent sweats. Regulation gray sweats imprinted with “Property of SFPD” across the chest of the shirt.

As a profiler, Hotch understood the strategy behind having him dressed in SFPD gear. The FBI’s relationship with local cops was always delicate, so having an agent hurt on the police department’s turf likely had ruffled some feathers. By dressing Hotch in something that blatantly marked him as the SFPD’s, Rossi was subtly assuring them that the FBI had confidence in the locals.

Hotch sighed. He understood David’s likely reasoning, but he didn’t like it. The idea of interacting with the local police while dressed in something as casual as sweats was decidedly unappealing; Hotch always remained impeccably dressed. He usually only removed his suit coat to put on soft body armor. Even in sweltering heat, Aaron didn’t strip down. He’d learned back in law school that appearance, especially how you were clothed, made an important impression and Hotch took advantage of that. He didn’t wear perfectly pressed suits and pristinely white dress shirts just out of personal preference; they were a uniform of authority and something he shamelessly used to full effect.

Which was probably another reason why David Rossi had sent sweat clothes. Aaron was hurt and would not be able to operate at 100%. Rossi probably didn’t like the idea of Hotch coming back to the case any more than Prentiss did and was using the clothing as a subtle way of reminding Hotch of his diminished capacity.

Sometimes working with other profilers sucked.

Hotch held on to the last of his patience as he waited to be released. He glared at his IV, resentful of every last drip. He hadn’t been moved from the ER cubicle, so Hotch couldn’t maintain contact with the others. Prentiss could and did move out into the waiting room to get updated via cell phone, but Hotch was concerned that she wasn’t telling him everything she found out. Not only was he frustrated, but he hurt too. Hotch couldn’t even perform desk duty if he was under the influence of heavy painkillers and so he refused them.

Hospital processes were slow, but eventually Hotch’s IV was empty and his medication was ready. He took the antibiotic right away, but pocketed the painkiller unopened. Thankfully, even Prentiss wasn’t brazen enough to offer to help. In short order after finally getting his release papers and being warned against doing anything but the lightest of lifting, Aaron was gingerly seated in a SUV while Prentiss drove them back to the PD.

“I thought you would want to know that Alexander Dill died,” Emily declared, not taking her eyes off the road.

“Thank you,” Hotch tried not to gasp as she went over a pothole and the jostling made his stab wound ache. He was exhausted. It wasn’t yet lunchtime, but his day had started in the middle of the night and Aaron felt like he was sitting in a fog. “Who is Alexander Dill?”

She shot a worried glance at him. “The man who stabbed you. He started exhibiting symptoms of a meth overdose after the attack and died shortly after they got him to the hospital.”

Aaron felt oddly removed from the conversation. “I was never told his name.” His gut hurt and Hotch deliberately changed the subject. “What about the case?”

Emily shook her head in dismay at his focus, but answered him anyway. “With Garcia’s help, we’ve narrowed it down to five Catholic schools located in the general vicinity of the body dumps that the UNSUB has not used.”

“Good,” Aaron stated. “I take it that Garcia is analyzing data from the schools for comparisons.” When Prentiss didn’t answer, Hotch tried again. “Emily?”

“She can’t,” Emily admitted. “We’re talking private schools with not enough funding; computerized records are the pretty far down on the list when it comes budge-crunching time.”

Prentiss obviously expected him to be angry, but Hotch was just tired. “I bet Garcia had something or two to say about that.”

“She had a few choice words,” Prentiss told him, a faint smile on her lips. She sobered as she turned to him briefly. “Are you sure you’re okay, Sir?”

“I’m fine,” Aaron reassured her.

Hotch wasn’t sure that he’d convinced Emily and then was positive that he hadn’t when she insisted that she park the SUV right in front of the police department.

“They can give us a ticket if they want,” Emily told him in a clipped voice when he suggested that she pull around to the visitor’s lot. “It’s their fault you got hurt.”

Aaron decided not to protest. It was his choice and not that he was too breathless from simply getting out of the SUV. At least, that was what he told himself. With Prentiss walking at his side and keeping to his slower than normal pace, Hotch felt conspicuous. It didn’t help that many of the officers they passed recognized him.

They hadn’t gotten too far into the building before the figure of the police chief came barreling down on them. Hotch groaned inwardly. Interagency politics was the last thing he wanted to be doing, but it was necessary.

“Go on,” Hotch encouraged Prentiss. “I’ll catch up.”

She hesitated. “You sure?”

“Absolutely,” he assured her. It was going to be hard enough to placate the man’s pride without Emily as a witness. “He’s on our side, remember?”

Prentiss didn’t look convinced, but she did head in the direction of the conference room that the BAU had been given to use as their own. Hotch turned to face the police chief, wincing when he moved too quickly.

“Special Agent Hotchner,” the police chief addressed him. “I want you to know that the SFPD prides ourselves on our safety record. The officers involved with not securing that prisoner properly have been put on leave and the matter will be thoroughly investigated, with discipline to follow once the guilty parties have been properly identified.”

“I appreciate your concern,” Hotch responded, although the police chief hadn’t inquired after his health. No doubt the man was only worried about the embarrassment that came because his department had been involved in an injury to a member of the FBI’s elite. “These things happen; I’d much rather your staff’s attention be kept on the case.”

For once, Hotch had said the wrong thing and the police chief’s face darkened. “We may need the FBI’s help with the serial killer, Special Agent Hotchner, but I think I can decide about the disciplining of my own men.”

“Of course,” Hotch murmured. “Now, if you’ll let me rejoin my team and get back to work. . . .”

“Certainly,” the chief graciously answered before he turned towards his office. “And you can do so in perfect safety.”

“Thank you,” Hotch said sincerely. The chief didn’t know that Hotch was thanking him for leaving and, satisfied, walked away.

After the man was gone, Aaron hobbled towards the room that the rest of the team was using. He stopped just outside to gather himself. The BAU were the FBI’s elite. If Hotch didn’t want his people to know just how badly he was hurting, he’d have to hide it very, very well. Once he was ready, Hotch pushed the door open and entered the room. Five pairs of worried eyes immediately began scrutinizing him.

Hotch quietly took the seat next to Rossi. The sweatpants he’d been given had pockets and Hotch dug around in one. Finding what he wanted, Aaron took out a pill bottle and set it in front of David. Rossi picked it up and read the label. Looking at Hotch with upraised eyebrows, Rossi asked a question without saying a word.

“The only pain medication I’ve had was the morphine administered on site,” Hotch stated. He studiously ignored the unhappy noise that Morgan made at that announcement, instead focusing on David’s reaction.

Rossi nodded solemnly and pocketed the medication. “I have one of your guns, Agent Morgan has the other. But. . . desk duty only. You are not, under any circumstances whatsoever, going out into the field.”

Hotch nodded. “Understood.”

“The last of the schools delivered their records a little while ago,” Rossi explained, evidently satisfied that Hotch wasn’t going to try to be a hero. “We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way.”

David didn’t need to explain what they were looking for, they all knew that commonalities were what they were searching out. Unfortunately, they didn’t know if the UNSUB had skipped these schools deliberately or if there were one or two that he just hadn’t used yet. It made finding patterns a challenge.

As they worked, Aaron realized how much they’d all come to rely on Penelope Garcia. When records were computerized, finding patterns was much easier and she made it look like magic. Going through files by hand was far more time-consuming. Despite feeling like the minutes were slipping away, however, Aaron also found the work soothing. By immersing himself in lists of employees and service contracts, he could almost forget the throb in his belly from the stab wound.

The room was quiet as the agents worked, until the sound of Spencer’s stomach growling interrupted them. Blushing, the youngest of the group looked incredibly sheepish. “Sorry.”

Rossi looked at his watch. “We’ll need to draft a uniform to make a lunch run.” Often, the team took a break at a restaurant, but not this time. Not with a table full of files still to be searched.

JJ wrote down everyone’s order, although Hotch had a feeling she knew, just as he did, what each of them would specify before they said it. A meatball sandwich for David, salads for the ladies, turkey on whole wheat for Spencer and roast beef on rye for Morgan.

“And you, sir?” JJ looked at Aaron expectantly.

The last thing that Hotch wanted to do at the moment was eat. In fact, his stomach rolled at the very thought, a combination of the pain and the strong antibiotics he’d been put on as a precautionary measure. A quick glance at David Rossi’s imposing expression, however, brought a quick change of heart.

“Just soup for me, thanks,” Hotch chose the least nauseating thing he could think of. After JJ wrote it down, Aaron bent his head back to his work.

When the food arrived, the odor of it did little to settle Aaron’s stomach down. He took a few sips of his soup to mollify the others, but pushed it aside as soon as he could without drawing too much of their attention. When no one nagged at him, Hotch thought he’d succeeded, until he felt the presence of someone at his side.

“When a person donates blood, the body can replace the fluid in 24 hours, but it can take up to four weeks replace the plasma,” Spencer said awkwardly as he held a bottle of water out to Hotch. “Drinking a lot of fluids is the best thing, but water is better than orange juice. Orange juice actually a diuretic, although imbibing it helps the body absorb iron more efficiently.”

Hotch knew the young man well enough to know that Spencer was trying to express concern. “Thanks, Spencer,” he said with a small, but genuine, smile as he accepted the bottle.

Shortly after lunch, they had a list of possibilities. A maintenance company had contracts with four of the schools, a food service company with three and a security company with all five.

“We’ll be looking for an adult male,” Morgan explained to their SFPD liaison, Detective Sanchez, as they got ready to move out. “He’s mature, organized, but he takes just a little bit too much interest in the girls at the school.”

“He idolizes them,” Prentiss continued the profile. “In fact, he has a fixation on the stereotype of the pure Catholic school girl. The women he kills don’t measure up and he kills them for it.”

“We’ll split up,” Rossi instructed. “Morgan, you and Reid take the security company, JJ and Emily, you’ve got the maintenance company and I’ll take Detective Sanchez with me to check out the food services.” He looked at Hotch, as though expecting the wounded agent to protest.

“I’ll stay here,” Aaron offered. “And assume’s JJ’s liaison duties.”

Rossi frowned. “Or you could get some rest.”

Hotch shrugged, hiding the grimace of pain it caused. “I will if it becomes necessary.”

David didn’t look convinced, but didn’t protest further either. JJ stopped briefly by Hotch before she walked out. “Here, thought you might need these,” she said with a smile as she put a bottle of ibuprofen in front of him. “I don’t leave home without them.”

Aaron picked it up with a wry smile of his own. JJ wasn’t a profiler, but she was every bit as observant as one. “Thanks.”

After the team left, Hotch found himself coordinating a few phone calls, but nothing that took up much of his attention. The team split up on every case they worked on, but Hotch had never felt so useless before. He was restless, despite the exhaustion that plagued him, but it hurt too much to pace. Hotch found himself hunched over the files, looking for anything that they may have missed.

He needn’t have worried. Sometimes investigative work was as much luck as skill. The second man that Rossi interviewed was called ‘Uncle Mike’ by the school’s all-female population. Rossi noticed an oddly feminine neck chain that the man was wearing and upon closer inspection, realized that five rings were strung on it. All five were far too small for a man’s finger.

It hadn’t even necessary to bring ‘Uncle’ Mike Flanagan back to the station to begin questioning. Aaron had been right; the man had thought his last victim, Gabrielle Henderson, was much older than she was. It weighed heavily on the murderer’s mind that he’d killed one of the very girls that he idolized. All it had taken was a nonchalant comment about the necklace and Flanagan had confessed.

“I have Morgan and Reid going to Flanagan’s apartment,” Rossi told Hotch when he called with the news. “We’re bringing Flanagan into the station to wrap things up.”

“I’ll work with the local PD, make sure there’s a search warrant ready for Morgan and Reid,” Hotch offered.

“JJ can take care of that,” Rossi disagreed. “Why don’t you find a couch somewhere and rest?”

Hotch reminded himself that the older man was trying to helpful. “A couch in a police department?” He scoffed. “Even if I could find one, I’m not sure what its state of cleanliness would be. It’s likely safer for my health if I don’t bother.” He disconnected before David could argue with him.

Flanagan didn’t change his mind about confessing once he got to the station. Aaron watched from the observation room in weary disbelief as the man spilled his out his tale with little prompting. Flanagan’s wife had left him for another man, after announcing that her lover had gotten her pregnant. The incident had caused Flanagan to lash out at adult women, punishing them for not measuring up to the pure Catholic schoolgirls he remembered from his youth.

At first Hotch was suspicious. Often when someone was so eager to confess, they weren’t an UNSUB but someone troubled enough in their own life to want to confess to a crime that they didn’t commit. Morgan and Reid’s search of the man’s townhouse, though, had turned up substantial corroborating evidence. Flanagan had dressed each of the women in a schoolgirl’s uniform after he killed them. Their original clothing was found at Flanagan’s, along with video tapes of the crimes themselves. It was as solid a case as Aaron had ever seen.

“Well, that’s one disturbed individual that won’t kill again,” David said with satisfaction as Flanagan was led away by the local police. The entire team had gathered to watch.

“We were lucky,” Hotch pointed out. “We caught him while he was still feeling guilty over killing a teenager. If given another day or two to contemplate the murder of Gabrielle Henderson, no doubt Flanagan would have twisted it in his mind so that it was her fault.”

“Don’t they always?” JJ responded, sounding tired.

“We had the right profile, at the right time,” David stated firmly.

Morgan grinned. “That’s the way I like it. Break a case by lunchtime; have it wrapped up by dinner.”

“There’s still the paperwork,” Prentiss groaned.

“I took care of most of it already,” Hotch told them. “We should be ready to go in an hour or two.” Thankfully, being the FBI’s elite had its perks. The BAU came in and helped solve cases, but the local FBI agents got stuck with the lion’s share of the documentation.

David looked at him disapproval. “I thought you were going to rest.”

“I was available and it needed to be done,” Aaron responded. “Besides, I can rest on the plane.”

“We’re not flying out tonight,” Rossi retorted. “You got stabbed this morning, Hotch. You need to rest – in a bed.”

Hotch was aware that the other agents were watching them avidly. “David, can I talk to you privately for a moment?”

The others took a hint and suddenly found tasks to occupy them. Rossi took Hotch by the elbow and guided him into the now-empty interrogation room.

“You put me in charge, Hotch, it’s not your decision,” David said stubbornly. “You shouldn’t be out of the hospital, let alone have worked a case. We are not flying back tonight.”

Aaron crossed his arms over his chest. “David, you know the Bureau’s policy as well as I do.”

The FBI was under budget constraints, just like everyone else. The BAU still got to use the Bureau’s jet when they needed to get to a case quickly, but if a case was wrapped up early enough, the team was to fly back and save the cost of another night of hotel bills. It sounded petty, but hotel rooms for six agents, not to mention feeding them, added up quickly. Aaron was just thankful that they weren’t made to share rooms; their cases were always tense. He, for one, needed the solitude of his own room to help him deal with it.

“The FBI can kiss my ass,” David was usually laid back, but appeared to be working up a temper. “I’ll pay for the rooms myself if I have to.”

“David, it’s Friday,” Hotch pointed out gently. After an out of town case like the one they’d just wrapped up, the team got a mandatory couple of days off. It was a rare opportunity for a weekend when they could count on not being called out. “I think the team deserves a weekend at home – a whole weekend. Didn’t you say something about going hunting if we were back soon enough?”

Rossi’s expression softened. “This is your weekend to have Jack, isn’t it?”

Jack.

Hotch’s stomach clenched, causing a new round of pain. He’d been trying very hard not to think about his son. With a stomach wound, the doctor had given him lifting restrictions for weeks. Jack was a toddler and well exceeded those limits, but was still young enough to be needed to be carried at times. There was no way that Haley would let Aaron have the boy for the weekend.

“It’s not about that,” Hotch discounted David’s comment. “The whole team deserves a weekend to relax.”

“It’s okay to want something for yourself,” David stated quietly. “No one begrudges you wanting to spend time with your son.” He went on before Aaron could respond. “We’ll fly back tonight, but you are going to sleep on the flight.”

“I think that’s pretty much guaranteed,” Hotch smiled sheepishly, but the smile bled away as something occurred to him. “Do you know what happened to my cell phone? I know you said that you had one gun and Morgan the other, but I don’t know what happened to the rest of my personal effects.”

Rossi put one hand under Hotch’s arm as he escorted him from the room. “Everything was so crazy, I’m not sure. I tell you what, I’ll assign Morgan to help you track them down while Reid writes the report of the search of Flanagan’s apartment.”

Hotch approved of the division of labor even as David’s easy assumption of leadership gave him pause. Rossi hadn’t had a lot of experience at teamwork, but given how Strauss felt about Hotch, Aaron just hoped that his former mentor didn’t end up with his job.

Morgan was a good choice, at least when it came down to figuring out what had happened to Hotch’s stuff. Derek had an innate sense of when it was best to flirt; when it was better to intimidate; and, most embarrassing for Aaron, when it was advantageous to play up Hotch’s injuries.

“There you go, boss man,” Derek sounded satisfied as he eventually handed Hotch his cell phone.

It had taken some fast talking to convince the property clerk that the phone wasn’t a vital piece of evidence in the attack against an FBI agent. Hotch had let Morgan do most of the talking. Normally it would have been child’s play for him to accomplish the same thing, but he was just too tired to put much effort into it.

“Thanks, Morgan,” Hotch tried to put all of the gratitude he felt into his voice as he thanked the other agent.

“Anytime,” Morgan walked with Hotch as they went back to ‘their’ conference room. It was empty, the others no doubt frantic to finish up so they could leave. The prospect of a free weekend was like blood in the water to a pack of hungry sharks.

“Hotch? You okay?”

Hotch shook himself mentally. He’d been lost in his own thoughts and hadn’t realized that they’d reached their destination. Morgan looked at him in concern, clearly not comfortable in seeing his drill sergeant of a boss at somewhat less than his best.

“I’m fine, Derek,” Hotch reassured him. “I’m just tired.”

“Well, you go in there and take it easy,” Morgan suggested. “I’m going to go see how Reid is doing on that report.”

The conference room was set up as such rooms typically were. The large table in the middle was now empty, the school files having been returned to their owners or placed into evidence, depending on the importance of the file. The chairs were a step up from plain plastic, but not by much. It wasn’t a room conducive to rest. That was all right with Aaron, he wasn’t planning on resting just yet anyway.

As soon as Morgan left, Aaron sat with his phone and scrolled through his contacts until he found his old home phone number. He impatiently drummed his fingers against the table’s surface as it rang.

“You better not be calling to tell me that you’re away on a case and not going to be able to have Jack this weekend,” Haley said as she picked up. Caller ID was a mixed blessing. “He’s anxious to see his daddy and I’m not going to break his heart.” The ‘again’ tag on that sentence was as clear as if she’d said it out loud.

A sarcastic comment was tempting, but since Aaron was ultimately going to have to tell his ex-wife that he couldn’t, in fact, have custody of Jack over the weekend, Hotch resisted.

“Our plane leaves in a little while,” Aaron stated, hoping it would soften the news. “I’ll be home late, but I’ll definitely be in town this weekend.”

Haley knew him too well. “But. . . .?”

“But Jack can’t stay with me this weekend,” Aaron closed his eyes, anticipating his ex’s reaction. Haley didn’t disappoint.

“Aaron, I cannot believe this,” she hissed. Hotch had the feeling that he wasn’t getting yelled at only because Jack was probably nearby. “You promised that if you could have Jack every other weekend that you would be there on your weekend, come Hell or high water. Do you want to be a part of your son’s life or not?”

“I was stabbed this morning, Haley,” Hotch told her bluntly.

He almost enjoyed the dead silence that his comment invoked.

“Oh,” Haley finally said in a small voice. “Are. . . are you hurt badly?”

Hotch’s smile was bittersweet; Haley still cared for him, even if just a little bit. “No, I wasn’t even kept overnight. But it was an abdominal wound. The doctor’s instructions were no lifting anything over 15 pounds for the next several weeks.”

“That’s not going to work, Aaron,” Haley replied. “Jack needs help getting in and out of a big boy bed, getting in and out the bathtub, not to mention the car seat. What if something happens and you have to carry him somewhere?”

“I know,” Hotch admitted. “It’s not safe to have me be his sole care provider when I can’t even lift him.” He took a deep breath. “I was hoping you would allow me to visit him instead? If not at the house, then maybe we could meet at a park somewhere?”

Since Jack was so young, Haley didn’t want to have Aaron come in to the house. She was worried that it would confuse the little boy to have Daddy there when Mommy kept telling him that Daddy didn’t live with them anymore. On Hotch’s days to have their son, they met somewhere or Haley dropped Jack off at Aaron’s rental house.

There was another brief silence before Haley answered. “Aaron, I’m going to New York this weekend; I’ll have to take Jack with me.”

“New York?” Hotch closed his eyes. He wanted to see his little boy desperately. “What about your sister then? I know she doesn’t like me very much right now, but I would provide most of Jack’s care, I just need back-up in case he needs to be lifted onto anything.”

“My sister is going out of town; she has a life of her own, you know,” Haley told him tartly. Their parents lived out of state and weren’t an option to help. “I’m sorry, Aaron, but you’ll just have to miss this week.”

And she truly did sound sorry. Given Haley’s bitterness over what she termed Aaron choosing his job over his family, that was just short of a miracle.

“Perhaps the next week, then?” Aaron pressed. He knew he was begging, but didn’t really care. “It isn’t that I’m missing this weekend because I’m away on a job; I’m physically incapable of taking care of Jack right now.”

He could hear Haley’s hesitation. Because of how she felt about Aaron’s dedication to the BAU, she’d informed him that if he missed his weekend with Jack, that was it. There would be no switching at the last minute.

“I don’t know, Aaron,” Haley admitted. “Let me think about it.”

“Can we talk about it when you get back?”

Her sigh came through clearly. “All right. I have to go now. Jack’s at a play date and I’m running late to pick him up.”

“Please let Jack know that I love him,” Aaron asked her.

“I will,” she promised. “I’ll help him call you when we get back.”

It was a little thing for Aaron to be so grateful for, but he truly appreciated it. Jack’s voice on the phone was a poor substitute for Jack’s presence, but it would have to do. “Thank you.”

After Aaron folded his phone up, he realized that someone was hovering around the doorframe. It was JJ and, judging by the badly hidden embarrassment on her face, she’d overheard at least some of Hotch’s conversation with his ex-wife.

“We’re all set to go,” JJ informed him.

Hotch used his hands to push up from the table, minimizing the effort needed to get to his feet. Once there, he waited for a moment, a little lightheaded. He hadn’t realized that he’d closed his eyes until he opened them to find JJ had moved a lot closer.

“Are you all right, Sir?” She asked. She looked as though she wanted to offer physical support, but didn’t know if it was a good idea or not.

Aaron dredged up a tired smile for her. “I’m fine,’ he lied, “it’s just been a long day.”

JJ’s return smile had more energy to it. “We seem to get a lot of those.”

The other agent kept her steps slower as she led Hotch down the corridor, but managed not to make it too obvious. Not for the first time, Aaron wished he’d been able to convince JJ to take the necessary training to become a profiler; she would make an exceptional unit chief for the BAU one day. Derek Morgan would be the more obvious choice, but he lacked JJ’s deftness in working with other agencies, not to mention that Morgan had a tendency to lose emotional control once in a while. JJ had a cooler head than Morgan, a trait that would serve her well as she moved up the FBI’s ranks, whether in the BAU or elsewhere.

The others were waiting for them just inside the SFPD’s entrance. Hotch was glad to see that only Detective Sanchez was there; the police chief and his wounded pride were not anywhere in sight.

“Agent Hotchner,” Sanchez spoke to him as soon as Aaron and JJ got close enough. “We’re really grateful for the BAU’s help on this one and, on behalf of the entire San Francisco Police Department, I’d like to apologize for the injury.”

“You’re welcome,” Hotch responded to each comment in return. “And apology accepted, even if I don’t think it’s necessary. I should have been more aware of my surroundings.”

David stepped forward, glowering. “Since we’re officially done with this case, you can take these now.” He handed Hotch two pills with a glare that defied the younger man to refuse.

Almost meekly, Hotch accepted the medication and the water bottle that Spencer handed him. The rest of the team watched as he took the pain pills and Aaron was tempted to open his mouth wide after he swallowed, just to demonstrate that he’d been a good boy about taking them.

“Let’s roll,” Derek said eagerly after Hotch finished.

The group walked out to the waiting SUVs and Hotch grimaced as David gave him an arm to help him get inside. The two of them sat in the back, with JJ up front with Detective Sanchez, who was driving them. Prentiss, Morgan and Reid were in the SUV behind them.

Hotch looked out the window dully, only mildly surprised when the Sanchez didn’t take the turnoff that would have been necessary to go back to the hotel. David must have sent one of the agents back for their things. Given the usually sudden nature of their travel needs, the BAU team members always kept everything packed, ready to leave at a moment’s notice. It wasn’t the first time that a couple of them had checked out on behalf of everyone.

“Just relax,” David said quietly. “The case is solved and the team is accounted for. There’s nothing left for you to worry about except getting better.”

Aaron could have argued the point, but he just nodded and let his head rest against the back of the seat. He must have slept, because the next he knew, Rossi was gently shaking his shoulder.

“We’re at the airport,” David told him. He was no longer sitting next to Aaron, but was outside of the SUV, on Aaron’s side of the vehicle, and had the door open for him.

“A’ready?” Aaron asked, blinking his eyes as he tried to wake up. For some reason, his eyelids just didn’t want to stay up.

“Yes, I’m afraid so.” David reached to help Hotch, who was having a hard time getting the seat belt buckle to cooperate.

After Hotch was finally free of the restraint, he pushed himself off the seat and, with David’s help, stood. It was a good thing that the other agent was supporting him. Aaron immediately swayed and might have fallen if not for David’s quick grab. The jolt of being caught should have hurt and only then did Aaron’s foggy mind remember the pills he’d taken.

“What have you eaten today?” David demanded.

Hotch frowned as he thought about it. “Soup?”

“That’s all?” Rossi sounded angry. “One of the uniforms was supposed to bring you something to eat while we were in the field. If I’d known that, I would’ve waited until we got you on the plane before I gave you the pain meds.”

Derek Morgan jogged up and Aaron was able to focus enough to see that the others weren’t far behind him. “He okay?”

“Like an idiot, I gave him the full dose of pills before I knew he hadn’t eaten anything,” Rossi explained. Hotch was aware enough to realize he should have been able to answer for himself, but it felt too good to just let David do it. “He’s pretty out of it.”

“We’ll get him on the plane and then he can crash,” Morgan took Hotch’s other side. “I’ll help.”

Between the two of them, they walked Hotch over to the plane and up the stairs. Morgan was in front and went up the stairs backwards, holding onto Aaron’s arms and pulling him along. Rossi was behind him and kept steadying hands on Aaron’s hips. Hotch was all but asleep on his feet as he stumbled between them. Thankfully the pain medication that was making him so uncoordinated also made the transfer relatively painless. Within a few minutes, Aaron was being settled onto blessedly soft upholstery and a blanket was being spread over him.

“Is he going to be all right?” a woman asked. Hotch thought it was Prentiss, but didn’t care enough to open his eyes to check.

The deep rumble of Rossi’s voice responded to the question, but Aaron was too far gone into sleep to understand the answer. He slept deeply and undisturbed until another gentle shake roused him.

“Aaron?” It was David’s voice again. “Come on Hotch, wake up.”

Reluctantly, Hotch opened his eyes. David’s face was close to his, but once the older man realized that Aaron was awake and aware, he sat back on his haunches.

“Sorry to do that,” Rossi apologized. “But we’ve landed. I think you’ll be a lot more comfortable in your own bed.”

The flight between the two coasts took hours, but for Hotch, it had seemed like a blink of an eye. He sat up carefully, holding one arm to his stomach as the movement caused his gut to ache. They’d been in the air long enough that the pills had started to wear off. David offered a bottle of water, the cap already off, and Aaron took it gratefully. Aaron’s hand shook as he took a couple of swallows, but after he drank, he felt a lot better.

“Thanks,” he said gratefully.

“Let’s get you home,” Rossi stood and offered an arm to Hotch. It wasn’t just a politeness, it was a necessity to get Aaron on his feet. Once again, he swayed when he was upright.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be alone,” Rossi stated, a crease of worry appearing on his forehead. “You should stay with me tonight; I have plenty of room.”

Hotch shook his head. As much as he appreciated the offer, he preferred solitude. “You’re going hunting, remember? I’d appreciate a ride home, though.”

Rossi gave him a long look before capitulating. “Fine.”

Aaron couldn’t help but notice how Rossi insisted on going down the plane’s steps first. It was a little bit funny. Shorter and older than Hotch, David probably wouldn’t have been able to catch him had Aaron fallen, but it was a nice gesture anyway.

It was full night, the long flight and time change both contributing to the lateness of the hour. Hotch blinked at the lights that surrounded the airport. The other agents had started to disperse to their own vehicles, but more slowly than normal, as though they were waiting to make sure that Hotch was okay.

Just short of Rossi’s SUV, Hotch hesitated. “I have to get my car.”

“Already taken care of,” Rossi informed him. “Morgan’s going to follow us and Garcia’s going to follow him. Now quit worrying for once.”

That was easier said than done, but Aaron did allow himself to be assisted into the vehicle and again rested his head against the seat as Rossi drove. He didn’t fall asleep this time, rousing as Rossi pulled up in front of his house. As Hotch made his slow way out of the SUV, he saw Derek pull his own car into his driveway.

“You all right, boss man?” Dark eyes looked at Hotch in concern as he hobbled towards the front door.

“I’m fine, Morgan, thanks.” Hotch glanced over to where Penelope Garcia was waiting for Derek. “Go on. Have a good weekend.”

Morgan didn’t take much convincing. “All right call if you need anything.” And he was gone, not quite jogging to the waiting car, but it was a close thing. Hotch wasn’t offended. A free weekend was a rare thing indeed.

“I’m still not sure this is a good idea,” Rossi complained as he escorted Hotch to the door. He had Aaron’s bag, having been concerned that it exceeded the wounded man’s lifting limit. “You were pretty out of it on the flight.”

Hotch unlocked his front door and stepped inside, automatically flipping on the light. “David, thank you, but I’m fine. All I want to do is sleep. I’ll won’t even unpack my bag, I’ll just leave it here in the foyer and take things out a piece at a time, just so I won’t strain anything.” He gave Rossi a tired smile. “Go. Enjoying your hunting; I know you’ve missed your dog.”

Rossi had looked unconvinced as Hotch spoke, but that last bit seemed to have changed his mind. An avid bird hunter, David had reluctantly given his dog to a good home when he returned to the BAU. Their crazy hours just weren’t conducive to having a pet, not unless you were like Morgan and had someone like Garcia to dog sit while you were gone.

“All right,” David conceded. “But you have an appointment with the Bureau’s doctor on Monday. Make sure you don’t miss or I’ll hear about it.”

“I won’t,” Hotch assured him.

David handed him a pill bottle. “And take these. They don’t do you any good if you won’t.”

“I will,” Aaron promised. “Just not until I’ve got a handy bed to fall into.”

David hesitated for a long moment, but finally turned to leave. “Take care of yourself.”

With a deep sense of relief, Aaron closed the door behind the older man. He appreciated David’s concern, but it was a bit overwhelming. Aaron was always desperate to unwind after a big case. The fact that he’d been hurt and, in such a careless way, made it worse, not to mention the crushing disappointment of not getting to see Jack. Aaron sighed and headed for the bathroom.

After taking care of some basic body functions and getting a glass of water, Hotch hobbled into his bedroom. He didn’t bother to turn off the light or to take off his clothes. He simply toed off his shoes after he sat on the edge of the bed. Aaron raised the glass in a salute to the absent Rossi and obediently took two pills. With a sigh of deep relief, he crawled under the covers, not bothering to remove the disliked sweat suit.

Sleep rolled over Aaron like a soft blanket and he went willingly in its embrace. Like on the airplane, Hotch was quickly out deeply as both the medication and the effects of his wound caught up to him.

Hotch had fully expected not to wake until morning, but an unknown time later, an odd sensation disturbed him. “Wha-. . . . ?”

“Hello, SSA Hotchner,” a male voice answered him. There was something very wrong with how the voice sounded, but Hotch was too sleepy to figure it out. Aaron felt a heavy weight settle on his hips as a man-sized form straddled him. “I’ve been waiting to spend some quality time with you.”

It was hard to throw off the effects of the pain medication, but the situation was alarming enough to pull Hotch out of the pill-induced fog. Becoming more awake by the moment, he opened his mouth to demand who it was on top of him and what the hell he was doing there. Instead, however, Aaron gasped. One of the stranger’s hands had gone unerringly to Hotch’s wound and ground into it harshly.

“Oh, yes, we’re going to have a lot of fun,” the voice told him gleefully. As Aaron opened his mouth to cry out involuntarily in pain, liquid was poured down his throat. Aaron tried not to swallow, but he had to in order to breathe.

The combination of pain and lack of oxygen from choking caused Hotch to start to black out. As his consciousness faded, Aaron felt the man on top of him begin to grind his crotch against Hotch’s.

“Oh, yes. We’re going to have a lot of fun together.”

~to be continued~


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 2009. This story is currently unfinished.

David Rossi's steps were light as he approached BAU headquarters. He'd enjoyed his free weekend and being temporarily reunited with his dog, but he was happier to be going back to work. In retrospect, his interest in hunting should have been a clue that early retirement had been a mistake. Hunting was in his blood, but the pursuit of dumb animals just seemed meaningless compared to the satisfaction of getting criminals off the street.

From the happy faces around him, David got the distinct impression that his teammates had enjoyed their weekends too. Automatically, David's eyes went to Hotch's office, but it was dark. He was relieved, having been halfway convinced that Hotch would circumvent the doctor's orders and come in to work anyway. That relief was short-lived, however, as Rossi remembered that he'd been unable to reach Aaron by phone the night before.

"Hey, has anyone heard from Hotch?" David asked as he approached the younger members of the team. They were gathered around the coffee machine, no doubt exchanging stories of how they'd spent their days off.

Morgan frowned. "No and I told him to call if he needed anything."

"Like he'd really do that," Prentiss scoffed. When Morgan glared at her, she hunched her shoulders. "But I didn't call him either."

"I was out of town," JJ admitted with a blush. David wondered how long it would be before she admitted to a long-distance relationship with that New Orleans detective of hers. Rossi hadn't even been on the team when the two of them had met and he knew about it; she wasn't fooling anyone.

"We could call him," Spencer sounded hesitant and, by the looks of the other agents' faces, David could see that they were too. As one, they turned towards him.

Rossi stifled a chuckle. Technically, he was the newest member of the team, but obviously they thought his long relationship with Hotch would protect him from the other man's potential irritation at being called so early in the morning.

They were probably right.

David dug out his cell phone and pulled up Hotch's number. While the others watched expectantly, it rang, but finally rolled over into voice mail. David shrugged at the other agents while he left a message. "Hotch, it's David. Call if you need a ride to your doctor appointment or something. You better not be on your way here."

"I wonder if he's at his follow-up appointment with the FBI doctor," JJ suggested once Rossi had put his cell phone away. She looked relieved at the thought. "That was set up for this morning."

"That's probably it," David was relieved at the sensible explanation, even as he was frustrated that Hotch hadn't called to ask for a ride. Then again, Prentiss had been right about their team leader. Hotch was good at delegating when it came to a case, but would not want to reveal anything to his team that could be seen as vulnerability.

There was still paperwork pending from the case they'd just wrapped up in San Francisco. It consisted of the little details that the local FBI couldn't handle, but that could wait for the BAU team to rest for a couple of days. It wasn't the most fascinating work, but it was exacting and a couple of hours passed before David was interrupted.

"Director Strauss," David greeted his superior as she entered his office following a brief knock. "What can I do for you?"

"SSA Hotchner did not report for his post-injury exam with the FBI physician," she stated. "Since he is so attentive to his beloved team, I thought he had perhaps notified you as to his reason for flaunting Bureau policy."

David sat up straighter in his chair. "No, he didn't and I couldn't reach him by phone this morning, either. Did you call him?"

"Of course I did," Strauss replied, looking more irritated than worried. "But there was no answer."

"Aaron Hotchner does not flaunt Bureau policy," David snarled at her. He got up and grabbed his coat, leaving Strauss behind in his office, mouth open in surprise.

Rossi came barreling down through the bullpen, cell phone in his hand. He didn't expect Hotch to pick up, but rang his number anyway. He was halfway to the exit before Aaron's answering machine picked.

"What's wrong?" Morgan demanded. Rossi would have blown passed him, but the younger agent was both big enough and ornery enough to block him.

"Hotch didn't show up at his doctor's appointment," David explained. As he spoke, the other members of the team drifted closer. "And he still isn't picking up his phone."

Unlike with Erin Strauss, David didn't have to point out to the others that Aaron wasn't the type to blow off a mandated appointment.

"I'm coming with you," Derek stated bluntly.

The other agents nodded an agreement and started moving forward, but Rossi knew he couldn't let things get out of hand. Aaron would not be pleased with having the entire BAU show up on his doorstep, demanding an explanation. On the other hand, the behavior was unusual enough to be worrisome, so one extra person wasn't a bad idea either.

"All right, Morgan, but just you," Rossi agreed. When the others looked disappointed, he didn't give in. "We can't all take off and give Strauss a reason to snipe at Hotch when he gets back."

Since they all knew that she would jump at any excuse to get on Hotch's back, the rest of the team didn't press the issue.

"Call us as soon as you know anything," Prentiss instructed.

Morgan gave her a sloppy salute, but by the time they got to the SUV, was solemn. "What do you think happened?"

"I don't know," David admitted. "Aaron Hotchner is a proud man and it wouldn't be easy for him to ask for help, but he could have taken a cab. It's not like him to miss something like that."

"No," Derek admitted. "It's not."

The rest of the ride passed in tense silence. Rossi had Morgan drive, so that he could continue to try to reach Aaron by phone. He called the land line and Hotch's cell, but neither was answered.

When they arrived in front of Hotch's house, Rossi jumped out before Derek brought the SUV to a complete stop. Morgan still almost beat him to the front door. Seeing Hotch's car in the driveway wasn't much relief.

"Hotch!" David called as he abandoned the doorbell for his fist on the door. "It's David Rossi. Are you all right?"

While David pounded on the door, Morgan peered into the front window. Out of the corner of his eye, David noticed the younger agent make a startled motion and then reach for his gun. "Morgan, what is it?"

"Blood on the wall," Derek nodded at the window and David leaned over for a quick look. There, on a pristine white wall, in clear view of the front window, was a bloody handprint.

"Damn," Rossi drew his own weapon, but stood back to let Morgan kick the door in.

"FBI!" Morgan yelled as he entered the house in a careful crouch.

Rossi was right behind him and the first thing he noticed was the smell of bleach.

"Oh, this is not good," Derek muttered.

Working as a team, the two men cleared the living room. They moved to the kitchen, with Rossi checking it out while Derek moved to the bathroom. The bleach odor was just as strong in the kitchen, but the only thing David noticed as unusual was a large water jug on the counter. He cautiously stepped to the hallway, Derek joining him with a brief shake of the head.

"Clean in there," Morgan informed him. "Too clean; the bleach smell is a lot stronger."

As one, the two agents moved towards the bedrooms. Morgan was positioned so that he took the larger bedroom, which had to be Aaron's. David headed towards the smaller one.

The first thing David Rossi noticed was that, unlike the rest of the house, this room was decorated. Instead of stark white walls, these were painted a playful blue. A yellow cartoon character was on the bedspread. David had no idea what it was supposed to be, but it looked like the sort of thing that a child would like. Toys and books were neatly placed on equally colorful shelves.

The second thing Rossi noticed was Aaron Hotchner, naked and pale, huddled on the floor.

David checked his headlong plunge into the room just long enough to open the closet and verify that no one was hiding there. Then he rushed into the room. "Morgan!"

Dropping to his knees, David frantically put his fingers to Hotch's neck. The younger man's skin felt dry and hot, but there was a pulse. Aaron was curled into as tight of a ball as a man of his size could, but David could still see the bruises that were all over his body. The markings were concentrated on Aaron's hips. Gulping back bile, Rossi put his gun down so that he could strip his suit coat off.

"Oh my God."

Derek Morgan was in the doorway and looked as shell shocked as David felt. Rossi quickly covered Hotch using his suit coat, wanting to shield the vulnerable man from even friendly eyes.

"He's alive," Rossi informed Morgan in a clipped tone. "Call 911." He turned back to Hotch, vaguely aware of Morgan's tense voice behind him, calling for an ambulance.

"Aaron, it's David," Rossi spoke to Hotch in a comforting voice. Aaron's eyes were shut and David didn't know if he were conscious or not, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to speak to him as though he could hear. "You're safe now, help's on the way."

Rossi kept up the quiet patter of reassurance until he heard a siren in the distance. Derek went out to meet the ambulance and came back followed by several EMTs and a gurney.

"What do we have?" The lead EMT asked, pulling a pair of latex gloves over his hands.

"His name is Aaron Hotchner," David explained, backing away so the medical professionals could help Hotch. "We found him like this approximately 15 minutes ago. He's not responsive."

"He was stabbed in the gut three days ago," Morgan chimed in.

"Could he have taken too many pain meds?" The EMT asked as he took Hotch's pulse.

David held on to his temper; it was a legitimate question. He simply lifted up the suit coat that was hiding the worst of Aaron's injuries. "I don't think so."

The EMT winced. "You're right. If you'll excuse us, Sir, we need room to work."

Reluctantly, David left Aaron's side and backed up a few steps to where Derek was standing. The two of them watched as the EMTs checked their colleague out. Morgan hissed as the EMTs moved Hotch enough to reveal ligature marks around his wrists; Hotch had been tied at some point.

"I'm going to the hospital with him," David told Morgan quietly. "I need you to stay here until forensics arrives." Morgan looked rebellious. "This is for Hotch; we need to make sure this case receives the best from everyone involved.”

Derek subsided. "All right. I told the rest of the team to meet us at the hospital."

David nodded. "And Strauss?"

"I left a message," Morgan shrugged. "She wasn't answering."

"I'll speak with her later," Rossi promised. "But it was good thinking to notify her, so she doesn't feel left out of the loop."

The EMTs started loading Hotch onto the gurney and David hurried to talk to them. "How is he?"

"His condition is stable, although he's still not responding to us," the EMT David had spoken to before said. "It'll be up to the doctors to determine, but my guess is that he's been drugged."

That reminded Rossi of something and he turned back to Derek. "Morgan, there was a jug of water on the counter in the kitchen."

"I'll see to it that forensics does a tox screen on it," Derek promised.

There wasn't time to say anymore, Hotch's gurney was being pushed towards the vehicle waiting to transport him.

"I'm going with him," Rossi said as they started loading Aaron into the ambulance. He flashed his FBI identification before anyone could protest. No one commented, which was a good thing because David was not in the mood to be denied.

The ride itself was uneventful. Aaron remained unconscious and, although there was some concern over how low his blood pressure was, he didn't seem to be in any immediate danger. David answered questions about any allergies Hotch had as best he could, but mostly he just sat quietly, prepared in case Hotch woke up and was confused.

Once at the hospital, Rossi was prevented from going into the treatment room. David geared himself for a battle.

"I'm sorry, Agent Rossi, but medical personnel only," the EMT stopped David firmly.

"Special Agent David Rossi?" A nurse had overheard his name and approached them before David could disagree with the EMT. "We have the rest of your team in a special waiting room."

"I can't stay with my colleague?" David asked. "He's obviously been through an ordeal; he should have a familiar face near when regains consciousness."

"I'm sorry, sir, but even family wouldn't be allowed to accompany him right now," the nurse didn't back down and David reluctantly had to admit that he'd been defeated. He allowed himself to be directed to the lounge that had been set aside for the team's use.

As David entered the small, private room, he saw that the rest of the team was already there. JJ noticed him first and stood, quickly followed by Reid, Prentiss and Garcia.

"How is he?" JJ asked, a delicate worry line prominent in her forehead.

"Stable," Rossi informed them. "Still unconscious, though, and it seems likely that he's been drugged."

Prentiss cleared her throat. "Morgan said that Hotch had been . . . . assaulted?"

Trust Prentiss to be the one to ask the difficult question. Still, it wasn't exactly something that Rossi could keep secret.

"From the marks we could see, assault is the least of it," Rossi stated bluntly. "We need to prepare ourselves for the likelihood that Hotch has been raped."

"Oh God," Garcia gasped, one hand coming up to cover her mouth.

The rest of the team were more subdued in their reactions, but they'd had more experience with the need to control their visible emotional responses. Even so, JJ and Emily looked shocked and Spencer appeared as though he was going to throw up.

"If you're going to freak out, do it now," David warned them sternly. "Hotch is going to need our full support to get through this."

"Where's Derek?" Garcia asked in a small voice.

David tried to smile at her. "I asked him to stay at the house until forensics got there. He'll be along shortly."

"Sir," JJ looked a little steadier. "What about Agent Hotchner's family?"

She probably was asking if they'd been notified that Hotch was in the hospital, but David's mind did a nastier turn. "We need to get a protective detail out to Haley Hotchner ASAP. We don't know the motive of this attack yet, but if it was revenge, the UNSUB could strike at Hotch's family."

JJ nodded and pulled out her phone, stepping aside to make the arrangements.

"What about the rest of his family?" Garcia asked. "I know he has a younger brother."

David was surprised that anyone knew that much, knowing that Aaron was close-mouthed about his background. "I'll take care of that later, after we get a determination from the doctor of what his exact condition is."

The agents lapsed into silence, sitting back down as they settled in to wait for an update from Hotch's doctor. After about a half hour there was motion at the door and they all looked up expectantly, but it was only Morgan.

"Any word?" Derek asked as he joined them.

"Not yet." David watched as Morgan grimaced. "Forensics get started okay?"

"Yeah," Derek took the seat next to Garcia. "It's Hogan's crew; they're the best. I told them it was for Hotch and how important it was, but she didn't hold out much hope. All that bleach."

"Bleach?" Garcia asked. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Bleach kills any DNA evidence left behind." Morgan explained. "And from the smell of things, this guy was thorough."

"We're not going to be able to rely on getting much of anything from forensics," Rossi warned. "This UNSUB is obviously smart and organized."

Morgan swallowed. "Do you think he's one of us? He picked a weekend that Hotch was wounded and vulnerable - and he knew to use bleach."

Reid spoke up for the first time. "The number of procedural shows on television are effectively teaching the public how to better commit crimes. It wouldn't necessarily have to be someone in law enforcement to know that."

Rossi shrugged. "I won't rule anything out at this point. I wouldn't be surprised, though, to find out that Hotch'd been watched for a while. This kind of attack doesn't just happen." He winced as something occurred to him. "This was supposed to be Hotch's weekend with his son; the UNSUB could have been planning on using Jack's safety to control Hotch."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group as that statement sunk in. The one thing worse for Aaron Hotchner than sexual assault would have been to have his son used against him. At least he'd been spared that.

There was nothing else for the agents to do while they waited and the conversation didn't resume. Forensics was processing the scene, Hotch's family was safe and, until they could talk to Hotch about what happened, they couldn't start looking for a possible motive. Besides, no one wanted to leave until they knew how their leader was doing. Thankfully, the doctor didn't keep them waiting too much longer.

"You're here for Aaron Hotchner?" A middle-aged woman asked as she entered the room. It was a private lounge and Rossi was grateful that she shut the door behind her. "I'm Dr. Anthony."

"Yes," David spoke up as he stood. He dug out his identification and flashed it at her. "How's he doing?"

The doctor eyed Rossi's credentials. "Are you family?"

Knowing she was concerned about medical privacy laws, David didn't snap at her. "Consider us the FBI agents that will be investigating the crimes committed against Special Agent Hotchner."

Dr. Anthony nodded at the entire group. "Very well, you better sit down, this might take a while." She waited until the team had taken their seats before launching into her report on Hotch's condition.

"Mr. Hotchner is still unconscious, but he's stable," she informed them. "It's highly likely that he's been drugged, probably with Rohypnol, but we'll need to wait for the toxscreen to come back before we'll know for sure. The puncture wound to his abdomen is the most severe of his injuries, I understand that the original stabbing took place several days ago?"

"Friday," Rossi answered. "It wasn't considered a dangerous wound; the hospital didn't even keep him overnight, although the doctor wanted to."

She nodded at the information. "Unfortunately, the wound opened sometime in the last couple of days, either during a struggle or perhaps even deliberately." The doctor frowned. "In fact, the wound is wider than I would expect it to be; it's almost as though someone stuck their fingers inside and pulled it apart."

The agents winced. They were used to UNSUBs inflicting horrors, but not on one of their own.

"In any case, that wound is now infected," the doctor explained and David remembered how hot Aaron had felt to the touch. "We've started Agent Hotchner on a course of antibiotics that we hope will address the infection. If not, we'll have to try something more aggressive."

"And the assault?" David asked quietly.

The doctor met his gaze squarely. "The assault was sexual in nature. There are clear signs that Agent Hotchner was raped both orally and anally. There is considerable soft tissue damage in both his throat and rectum, but his assailant appears to have taken steps to mitigate the affects."

"What does that mean?" Morgan demanded.

"The assailant took time to prepare Agent Hotchner for anal intercourse, even to the point of using lubricant," Dr. Anthony didn't bat an eyelash at Derek's question. "I'm sure Agent Hotchner will be in considerable discomfort when he regains consciousness, but there wasn't any rectal tearing, which I would have expected from an assault of this duration. He was raped several times over the course of a few days."

The agents looked at one another. The care that Hotch's attacker had taken showed not only that felt he had the time to be careful, but also just the fact that he'd taken those precautions would figure into their profile.

"Is there anything else?" David asked.

"There were lacerations around his wrists, indicating that Agent Hotchner had been tied, and that he fought those bindings. Both wrists are sprained," the doctor told them. "He has some bruising on other areas of his body, but other than the puncture wound he'd sustained earlier, nothing that broke the skin."

David felt his stomach drop. He hadn't thought about diseases that might be transmitted. "Did you do a rape kit? Was there anything to indicate if his assailant used a condom?"

Dr. Anthony sighed. "We documented the injuries and did the necessary swabs, but Agent Hotchner had been thoroughly cleaned. I highly doubt that anything will be found of use. I suspect that a condom was used, but I can't say for sure. We're also doing routine tests for STDs and he should have the results in a couple of weeks."

"When can we see him?" JJ asked.

"He's being moved into intensive care, so he can be monitored until he regains consciousness," the doctor explained. Done with her report, she changed the subject. "And now I have a question for you. Which one of you is Jason Gideon?"

David blinked. Gideon's name was the last thing he'd expected to hear. "None of us. Why?"

"Our administrative staff contacted FBI headquarters in Quantico," the doctor explained. "Jason Gideon is listed as having Aaron Hotchner's healthcare directive, which might become an issue if he remains unconscious. Do any of you know how to reach Mr. Gideon?"

"I'll take care of it," David assured her. "Along with notifying Agent Hotchner's family of what's happened."

Dr. Anthony looked relieved and David didn't blame her. It wouldn't be a pleasant task, but it was his responsibility. "When can we see him?"

The doctor rose and the rest of them did too. "I'll send a nurse to find you when Agent Hotchner is settled. It would be best if he didn't wake alone."

"He won't," David vowed. He barely waited until Dr. Anthony left before turning to Spencer. "What's Jason Gideon's phone number?"

Spencer looked startled. "Gideon's number?"

"There's nothing wrong with keeping in touch with the man," Rossi stated impatiently. "Other than Hotch, you're the one most likely to be in communication with him."

"I leave him messages, but he never answers," Spencer admitted glumly.

"But he hasn't changed the number, has he?" David prodded. "And let me guess, his voice mail box hasn't filled up either. He's listening to your messages, trust me."

Spencer glanced briefly at Morgan, who shrugged. "202-555-4447."

David rapidly punched the numbers in and listened impatiently as it started to ring. After what Spencer told him, he wasn't overly surprised when the call automatically turned over to voice mail. Turning away from the others slightly, David waited until the tone to leave his message.

"Gideon, it's Rossi," David spoke tersely. He didn't bother to waste time explaining that he was back with the BAU; Spencer no doubt had mentioned it before, if he'd been leaving regular messages for Gideon. "Aaron Hotchner was attacked in his home and raped. He's unconscious and the hospital has notified us that you hold his healthcare directive. So, get over this prolonged sulk of yours, or whatever you call it, and get your ass back to Quantico. Hotch is going to need every friend he's got to get through this. You owe him that much."

After he signed off, David turned around and faced the rest of the team. He was expecting the others be uncomfortable with what he'd said to Gideon or maybe even be reproachful, but their reaction surprised him. They simply looked steadily back at him, with something like approval in their eyes. Gideon had obvious burned more than one bridge by leaving so abruptly.

"Good message," Morgan actually praised him.

David took a deep breath. "I want one of us to be with Hotch at all times; I'll stay with him until he wakes up. From what Dr. Anthony said, I doubt he'll be in any condition to give a preliminary statement, but I'll see what I can do." Aaron Hotchner was a formidable man, but if he'd been dosed with enough Rohypnol to remain unconscious for an extended period of time, the drug would likely affect his memory of the attack. Rossi thought it a mixed blessing. "Garcia, I want you to sift through Hotch's old cases and see if any have a matching MOs or feature anyone likely to hold a grudge."

Garcia gulped. "But, between his federal prosecutor days and then with the FBI, there's got to be a gazillion of them."

"Don't worry, I'll help, Baby Girl," Morgan put a hand on her shoulder as he soothed the distraught tech. "Even with the little we know, we can narrow the field of possible suspects a little bit."

"It might not be someone Hotch helped catch or convict," Prentiss pointed out. "It could be the family of someone he helped put away or Morgan could be right, it could be law enforcement."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," David cautioned. "JJ, check with your sources and see if there have been any other attacks like the one on Hotch. This UNSUB did not just crawl out of the woodwork; he's way too good at this."

"Statistics on male rape are rare," Spencer interjected. "In fact, researchers can only estimate that the vast majority of male rape victims fail to come forward, even more than female victims."

"Meaning that the UNSUB's earlier victims may not have reported the crime," Prentiss finished the thought.

"We still have to look," David told her. "I'd like you and Reid to go back to the scene. Make observations, as long as you don't get in the way of the forensic team, and start canvassing the neighborhood. Hotch was stalked and hopefully someone saw something out of the norm."

The other agents left for their assignments, reluctantly but seeing the need. David was left alone with his thoughts for a few moments before a nurse came in to direct him to Aaron's room.

"There are signs that he's getting restless," the nurse told Rossi as she left him at the doorway. "We'll be monitoring him, but it's good you're here. Mr. Hotchner will be very confused when he regains consciousness."

"There will be someone with Special Agent Hotchner at all times," David replied, putting special emphasis on Hotch's title. "He's going to get all the support he needs."

"Good," she told him with a smile. "Ring if Special Agent Hotchner needs anything."

Monitors surrounded Hotch, their quiet beeping a backdrop to the sound of Aaron's breathing. Intensive Care was set up so that the rooms surrounded a nurses' station and the wall that faced the center was clear. David found the design comforting; it would be easy for the nurses to tell if Aaron was in distress and react accordingly. No doubt, once Hotch was awake and aware, he would find it too much of a fishbowl, but hopefully by the time that came about, Hotch could be moved to a regular room.

David sat in the chair next to the bed, admitting to himself that he was studying the area in an attempt to avoid looking at his friend. He forced himself to and found that Aaron was much improved. The younger man was still pale, but was no longer curled into that heart-breaking huddle. A hospital gown covered the bruises and his wrists were wrapped, hiding the damage Hotch had done to himself, probably trying to break free from being tied.

If Rossi's memory for detail weren't so good, he could almost make himself believe that Hotch was in the bed for the original stab wound.

Hotch was good at controlling his expressions; maybe too good. Only very rarely did he let his guard down and let even close friends see a glimpse of the man underneath the FBI Special Agent mask. David counted himself lucky to be among those that Hotch trusted that way. He would have expected that, unconscious, Aaron's face would be relaxed, but that wasn't the case. The trauma Hotch experienced was obviously haunting his sleep, because his expression was strained.

"We're going to see you through this, Aaron," David spoke quietly. He carefully picked up Hotch's hand, knowing no one was there to see and that Aaron wouldn't be embarrassed by it. "I promise."

But damned if David knew how he'd keep that promise.

*  
*  
*

Aaron Hotchner had a lot of experience waking up quickly, but it wasn't helping him. He was vaguely aware that he should open his eyes, that something was horribly wrong, but he just couldn't. Several times he almost managed to claw his way to consciousness, but didn't quite make it. Just when he was on the verge of waking, the fog of confusion and pain would descend again and pull him back into a world of full of nightmares.

When he did finally wake, Aaron did so abruptly and with a gasp. He looked around apprehensively. Aaron had never seen the room he was in before, but instinctively knew it was a hospital. How he'd gotten there, however, was a mystery.

"Aaron?"

A light touch on his arm caused Aaron to flinch. He looked down at the hand resting on his and gradually slid his eyes up to see who it belong to. He discovered that David Rossi was sitting next to him, a concerned expression on his face.

"Hotch?" David asked anxiously. "Are you with me?"

Aaron licked his lips, suddenly aware of how dry his mouth was. Not trusting his ability to speak, he simply nodded. It was a bad choice. The movement caused the room to spin and Hotch closed his eyes.

"Here, this might help." David helped Aaron lift his head slightly, just enough so he could take a sip of water. Aaron didn't know when anything had tasted so good. He tried to drink more, but David took the glass away. "Not too much. Let's see how that sets on your stomach. They said you might not feel well for a while."

David was babbling, which was not like him at all. Hotch opened his eyes again to look at his colleague. Rossi was sitting on the edge of his chair, looking at Aaron intently and with more than a little concern in his eyes.

"Dave?" Hotch asked, surprised at the weakness in his voice. "What happened to me?"

Rossi frowned. "What do you remember?"

Hotch hated it when someone answered his question with a question, although the profiler in him recognized the technique. Swallowing heavily, he closed his eyes and let his mind drift back. The pain radiating from his gut was an unpleasant reminder. "San Francisco. I was stabbed."

"That's right," David confirmed. "That was Friday."

Friday. Aaron's mind jumped to the fact that Fridays proceeded weekends and this weekend meant. . . .

"Jack!" Hotch tried to sit up. "Where's Jack? Is he all right?"

Hands grabbed his shoulders, holding him down. The action only made Hotch fight harder. Aaron was aware of a male voice, but it took a few moments for him to realize that it was David and that he was calling his name. Finally realizing that he was too weak to overcome the other man, Hotch lay back against his pillow.

"Jack's fine," David told him. Aaron had the feeling that Rossi had repeated that statement several times. "He's with his mother. He's fine, Hotch, I promise."

Panting, Hotch tried to calm down. "Okay."

David got up and moved to the wall. Only then did Aaron realize that it was glass. He watched, dumb in the aftermath of his panic, as David pulled a curtain over it, giving them privacy that Aaron hadn't even realized they'd lacked.

"What else do you remember?" David prompted after giving Aaron a couple of moments to recover himself. "You remember being stabbed. What else?"

"Flannagan confessed," Hotch struggled to make sense of his memories. "I remember getting on the plane to come back to Quantico, but. . . . nothing else."

David seemed disappointed. "That's all, you don't remember going home?"

"No," Hotch replied. He began to realize that his gut wasn't the only part of his body throbbing with pain. "Dave, what happened to me?"

David Rossi, who'd interviewed far more serial killers than Hotch had, wouldn't meet his eyes. "I drove you home Friday night; I tried to get you stay with me, but you refused.  
Morgan followed with your car. I carried your bag in. Hotch, I swear, everything was fine."

The older agent finally looked at Aaron again, guilt practically radiating from him.

"Dave," Hotch repeated, a growing fear adding to the gymnastics that his stomach was already doing. "What the hell happened?"

"The team should have checked on you during the weekend, but no one did," Rossi continued, bitterness creeping into his voice. "We were all too busy having fun on our time off. We didn't even know anything was wrong until you didn't show up for your doctor appointment Monday morning." David took a deep breath and met Aaron's gaze. "Morgan and I went to your house to see if you were all right. We found you in Jack's room."

"But Jack wasn't there, right?" Aaron was getting a very bad feeling and, although he knew he'd asked about his son already, wanted to make sure that Jack was unharmed.

"No, Jack wasn't there. He was with Haley all weekend," David assured him. "He's perfectly fine, Aaron, I promise."

There appeared to be tears in David's eyes, but surely that was a trick of the light.

"Aaron," David's voice was as gentle as Hotch had ever heard it. "There's no easy way to tell you this, but you were raped. Repeatedly."

The words both were and weren't a shock. Aaron's body had been screaming details at him ever since he'd started becoming aware, but he'd been ignoring the implications. David's hesitation to speak had been another clue. Even so, hearing the words said out loud was like a hammer blow.

"How can I not remember that?" Aaron heard himself whisper hoarsely.

David tried to put a hand on Hotch's arm, no doubt meant to comfort, but Aaron pulled away from him in reflex. Clearly, his body remembered being violated, even if his mind didn't.

"You were drugged," David explained as he carefully pulled his hand back. "When the toxscreen came back, it showed Rohypnol in your system, a lot of it. The doctors are guessing you were drugged throughout the weekend. The UNSUB was either very good at it or lucky, he came damn near to overdosing you."

Aaron's colleague didn't need to explain that Rohypnol in large doses could affect the memory. "What day is it?"

"It's Tuesday morning," David told him. "You've been out of it for a while."

Hotch closed his eyes for a minute, as though he could will away the unwanted news. "Are there any suspects yet?"

Rossi answered slowly, as though reluctant. "Not yet, no. This bastard was organized, maybe the most organized I've ever seen."

Aaron opened his eyes so he could look at his colleague. "Tell me."

"He didn't leave any DNA evidence behind," David began. "It's almost certain that a condom was used, so it's unlikely that you have to worry about any STDs."

The thought hadn't even occurred to Hotch yet.

"More than that, though, the UNSUB cleaned your house and, well, you with bleach," Rossi continued. "He also stripped the sheets off the beds. The bedspreads were left behind, but no hair samples of any kind were found. No fingerprints, either. Some blood was found on one wall, but it was yours."

Something occurred to Aaron. Rossi had mentioned it earlier, but the implications were slow to hit Hotch.

"Beds, plural?" Aaron asked. "He raped me in my son's room?"

David's face and voice were compassionate as he replied. "Yes, we think so."

Aaron was aware that David continued to speak, but the words were a meaningless jumble. His mind was stuck on the fact that something so perverted as rape had happened to him, in his child's room. What if Jack had been there? Would the UNSUB had gone after Jack instead? What sort of damage would it have done to his son if the young boy had been forced to witness the attack on his father?

Hotch's stomach was no longer content to just roil, it heaved. A basin appeared underneath Aaron as he retched and an arm came around him in support. Aaron would have flinched away from the touch, but his body out of control for the moment and he couldn't do anything about it. As soon as his stomach got rid of its meager contents, however, Aaron shrugged off David's arm. To his immense relief, Rossi backed off.

"The doctors said you might be nauseated for a few days, due to the amount of the drug you were given," David explained. Aaron appreciated the older man's matter of fact tone; it helped with the humiliation of having lost control. "There isn't that much physical damage. The worst of it is the original stab wound and your wrists."

He hadn't even noticed anything wrong with his wrists. Aaron looked down and saw that both were wrapped in bandages. "And there aren't any suspects?"

"No one specific, no," David admitted. "Garcia and the team are going through past cases, to see if anyone fits the basic profile. JJ has scoured the databases; no similar crimes have been reported in the area."

Hotch was well aware that 'reported' was the operative word in that sentence.

Rossi sounded hesitant as he continued. "We were hoping that you might remember something that would help narrow it down a bit."

Aaron started shaking his head before David finished the comment. "Nothing, unless bad dreams count."

"They might," Rossi took Aaron's comment seriously. "And I know you, you'll do your best to bring any memory fragments to the surface, no matter how unpleasant they are."

An uncomfortable silence lapsed between the two men. Finally Aaron took a deep breath and forced himself to look Rossi in the eyes. "David, I'd like to be alone for a while, please."

The other man looked like he was going to protest, but he nodded instead and rose slowly. "One of us will be nearby at all times. The team, I mean. Haley and Jack are being watched over too. We're going to catch this guy, Aaron, I promise."

He couldn't help it, Aaron snorted. "Even if it takes 20 years?" When David flinched, Aaron realized how cruel that comment had been. "I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

David smiled at him, but it was a sad smile. "I stewed over that case for 20 years and got nothing but nightmares. We worked on it as a team and it was solved in a few days. It won't be 20 years on this one, trust me."

Aaron couldn't think of a reply, so he just nodded. As Rossi reached the door, though, he made a request. "Do me a favor, Dave?"

"Anything."

"You're going to have to pull me apart to solve this," Hotch acknowledged. "Could you oversee the victimology personally?"

Rossi swallowed heavily. "Absolutely." And he left without saying anything else.

Once he was alone, Aaron lay quietly, staring at the ceiling. His body throbbed at various points, telling the story of what happened to him. He felt the bile rise again, but swallowed it back down. Falling apart wasn't going to help matters. He laughed at the thought, not knowing if anything was going to help matters. He briefly pressed the heel of his palms against his eyes, as though he could squeeze a vision out of them of what the UNSUB looked like, but it didn't work.

There were plans that would need to be made. David could lead the team in the interim, but Hotch knew there would be some administrative hoops he'd have to jump through before he was allowed back on the job. In the meantime, the team would have to be reassured that he would eventually rejoin them. After Gideon's abrupt departure, continuity was important. On a personal level, he'd have to communicate with Haley, find a place to stay until his house was released as a crime scene, follow-up on any physical care that needed to be addressed. . .

In spite of the details whirling about in his head, Hotch found sleep sneaking up on him. He didn't try to fight it. Even bad dreams would be preferable to the living nightmare he currently found himself in.

*  
*  
*

David Rossi kept his head held high as he exited Aaron Hotchner's room, at least until he was through the door and a few feet away. Once safely out of sight of the wounded man, he let his body slump, stopping and leaning against a wall for support. He didn't know what was worse, witnessing Aaron's breakdown at the thought of being sexually assaulted in his son's room or the brutal tamp down of emotion that swiftly followed Hotch's initial reaction.

"Sir, are you okay?"

It was JJ speaking to him and David pulled himself together enough to answer. "I'm fine, thanks. Just a little tired."

She didn't look convinced, but didn't question him further on it. "How is he?"

"He's awake and aware," David explained. Hotch had woken briefly before, but had been too dazed to talk to and had drifted back into unconsciousness. "But he has no memory of the attack."

"How did he take the news?" JJ asked, concern in her eyes.

David shrugged. "He's Hotch; he was stoic." There was no way in hell that David was going to tell anyone about Aaron breaking down.

To his surprise, JJ reached out and squeezed his arm briefly, although she didn't say anything more on the subject. Instead she sighed. "Mrs. Hotchner has called three times, demanding to know why she and her son are under protective watch."

Rossi rubbed his face. He couldn't blame the woman for being concerned, but begrudged the time that would be needed to fill her in on what was going on. It would have to be done in person and it would have to be him. Just like with breaking the news to Aaron about what had happened to him, it wasn't something that David would trust to anyone else.

He didn't consider the possibility of not telling Haley. Working up the victimology on Hotch meant delving into the man's background and, whether she liked it or not, that included Aaron's ex-wife. At least David telling Haley would spare Hotch the humiliation of having to do it himself.

"Now that Hotch is awake, I can leave for a little while. I'll go and explain things to her," David stated.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" JJ questioned. "You were here all night; maybe you should go home and get some rest instead."

David shook his head. "There's time for that later." He looked at his watch. "Give me a couple of hours and then have the team meet here at the hospital. I'll want an update on all aspects of the search so far."

Prentiss and Reid hadn't found anything at the scene, nor did canvassing the neighborhood yield any results. It was a newer housing development, full of lots of people like Hotch that were focused on their careers. Aaron hadn't lived there long enough to meet any of his neighbors and no one had seen anything out of the ordinary. With that in mind, they'd joined Morgan and Garcia in pouring through old case files. Even with Garcia's computer magic, there was still a daunting amount of material to cover.

"Do you want me to find someone to drive you?" JJ offered.

Rossi shrugged off her suggestion. "No thanks, I could use the time to think. Now that Hotch is awake, he'll be moved out of intensive care and into a regular room. I'd appreciate it if you could let me know the room number, once he's transferred."

"Will do," JJ promised.

It was hard to leave the hospital, and Aaron, behind, but David did it anyway. He could feel exhaustion dogging his steps. He wasn't as young as he used to be and an overnight vigil had taken a lot out of him, even if he'd taken catnaps in between the times the nurses had been in to check on Aaron.

As he drove to Aaron's old house, David remembered happier times he'd spent with the Hotchner family. Aaron had been one of the few people in the FBI he'd kept in touch with after retiring. He'd had dinner with Hotch and Haley more than once, although not since Jack had been born. Even then he'd seen cracks in their relationship, although he'd hoped for Aaron's sake that he'd been wrong.

David had been divorced three times; he knew that there were two people involved in every broken marriage. Intellectually he knew that it wasn't entirely Haley's fault, just as it wasn't entirely Aaron's. He couldn't help but feel resentment building, however, the closer he got to his destination. Aaron was a good man, maybe one of the best men that David knew, and he deserved better than a broken home.

When David pulled up in front of the house, he was pleased to see a dark sedan with federal license plates parked outside. The woman behind the wheel had sunglasses on, but David could tell that she was watching him avidly as he approached the house. David nodded to her, pleased the diligence. She nodded back, but didn't get out to question him. There were advantages to being a celebrity in the Bureau; even though he hadn't met this particular agent, she knew who he was and that he had a right to be there.

The door opened before David had a chance to knock. He was a little startled to see a man there instead of the expected Haley Hotchner.

"What the hell is going on?" The man demanded. "You guys call Haley and scare her half to death and then won't say what it's all about. I can't even reach my brother by phone. Even by FBI standards, this is a load of crap."

Brother; this must be Sean Hotchner. There was no point in looking for a physical resemblance, but Sean had a familiar angry glint in his eyes.

"That's why I'm here," David explained. He'd dealt with enough scared relatives over the years not to take the younger man's attitude personally. "If you'll let me in, I'll sit down with you and Haley and explain everything."

"Sean, let him in."

David recognized the voice coming behind Sean as that of Haley Hotchner. Grudgingly, her brother-in-law stepped aside. From the way Sean's hand came to the small of Haley's back, David had the sinking feeling that Sean Hotchner was more than an in-law to Aaron's ex-wife.

"Hello, Haley," David greeted her. "I'm sorry to have to see you again under these circumstances."

Haley had already looked pale and strained, but when she realized who was addressing her, her face totally drained of color. "My God, David, is it bad enough that they pulled you out of retirement?"

Her comment made David realize that Aaron had not spoken to her much about his job since the divorce. It was understandable, since it was Aaron's dedication to the BAU that had caused the tension in the marriage.

"I've been back at the Bureau for some time now," David stated quietly. "But it is bad. Can we sit down to talk?"

"Of course," Haley gestured David in and then led him to the living room. Sean was close on their heels. "Jack's taking a nap."

David waited until they were all seated before he got started. "Aaron was attacked in his home over the weekend. He's hospitalized, but he's going to be all right."

"I don't understand," Haley frowned. "He told me he'd been stabbed, but it wasn't bad enough to keep him in the hospital. Did he get worse?"

"This is something different," David explained. "We think the UNSUB that attacked Aaron had been watching him and was aware that he was wounded. He used that to his advantage to overpower Aaron."

"What are you not saying?" Sean Hotchner asked. Apparently Aaron wasn't the only observant one in the family. "That's awful, but not enough to put Haley and Jack under protection."

David took a deep breath. "The attack occurred on Friday night, but Aaron's injuries indicate that the UNSUB abused him the whole weekend, perhaps not leaving him until Sunday night or Monday morning."

Haley looked ill. "You said 'abused.' What exactly do you mean by that?"

"The assault was sexual in nature," David said gently. He wasn't happy to have to deliver the news, but was somewhat mollified on Aaron's behalf that the other two were so upset to hear it. "Aaron was raped, repeatedly, over a period of three days."

"Oh my God," Haley covered her mouth with her hand and Sean wrapped an arm around her shoulders . "Is, is he okay?"

"He's doing as well as can be expected," David replied. He had no intention of telling the woman how shattered her ex-husband had been. "He was also drugged and he's still trying to throw off the effects of that too."

"And you think whoever did this might come after Haley and Jack?" Sean asked.

Dave worded his response carefully, not wanting to worry Hotch's family too much, but also needing to impress on them the need to be protected. "We're not sure what to think just yet, but we know that his family's safety is always Hotch's primary concern. In fact, he asked about Jack immediately after regaining consciousness."

Sean's expression softened. "Yeah, that sounds like him."

"Until we know you're in no danger, there will be agents watching the house and following your car," David explained. "It would best, Haley, if you didn't go anywhere by yourself, except to work."

After the divorce, Haley had gotten a job teaching at a private school. It was an elite one frequented by the children of diplomats and politicians. As a result, it had more security than a normal school, so safety there wasn't an issue. There was also onsite daycare, so Jack would be safe on the grounds as well.

"Do you have any idea for how long?" Haley, thankfully, wasn't questioning the necessity of having protection.

"I'm not sure," David admitted, "but I can guarantee you that we won't stop until the man who did this is caught." He glanced at them each in turn. "Is there anyone else in the family that we should notify?"

Sean snorted. "Not my mother."

David nodded. "I'm aware of that situation, but thanks for the warning. Anybody else?"

"Not that I can think of," Sean shrugged. "You probably know who he's closer to at this point that I would."

"The BAU, Jack and, used to be, me," Haley's smile was watery. "Aaron's always had a small circle."

"All right, then," David braced himself for the next part of the interview. It would probably start out fairly calmly, but especially with Sean Hotchner present, would likely degenerate into something a lot more emotional. "Are you aware of anyone that would want to hurt Aaron?"

"That's something else you'd know better than either of us," Sean pointed out. "His job puts Aaron into contact with a lot of criminals."

David smiled thinly. "I think the FBI has a good handle the job-related possibilities. I'm talking more along the lines of long-time personal rivals, neighbors that he had disagreements with, and that kind of thing."

"No," Haley shook her head. "Not that I'm aware of."

"How about anyone you're involved with romantically, Haley?" David pressed gently. "Aaron is your ex-husband, could there be a boyfriend who feels threatened by his ties to you?"

Haley blushed and snuck a quick look at Sean before answering. "No."

"And how about anyone you were seeing while you were married to Aaron?" David continued.

"Excuse me?" Her blush had drained from her face, leaving Haley as white as a sheet.

Not so Sean, his color rose as he stood to tower above David. "What the hell are you implying?"

David ignored Hotch's younger brother and stared at Haley. "You had at least one affair while you were married to Aaron. I'll need the name of the man or men that you were involved with."

Haley blinked rapidly. "I-. . . . I didn't think he even noticed."

"I'm not sure that he did," David admitted. "Hotch didn't believe in using profiling in his personal life."

"Maybe if he had, it wouldn't have happened." A little bitterness crept into Haley's voice.

"What?" Sean looked flummoxed by the turn the conversation had taken. "Haley?"

She bit her lip as she implored Sean. "Aaron was always gone and distant even when he was physically present. I needed more than that, Sean."

"I assume from Sean's reaction that you didn't start sleeping with Aaron's brother until after the divorce," David commented dryly.

"Wait a minute," Sean shook off his shock at Haley's confession and rounded on Rossi again. "Where do you get off being judgmental?"

Realizing he'd let his personal feelings bleed into the conversation, David decided it was best to apologize. "You're right, I'm sorry, that was uncalled for." He turned to address Haley again. "I do need to get those names. I think you learned enough over the years about Aaron's work to know how important it is."

Haley sighed. "There was just one and his name was Paul." She gave David the man's full name and telephone number. "He was an instructor at the gym."

"And it ended amicably?" David asked.

"Oh, I'd say so," Haley laughed bitterly. "He bolted the minute I told him that I'd left my husband. I guess he found married women more attractive than available ones that might expect a commitment."

It didn't sound like a potential suspect, but David made note of the information. "Anyone else? Someone who may have been hanging around or seemed more interested in your life than you'd expect?"

Haley shook her head. "No, nothing like that."

David rose. He wasn't going to get any additional information and it felt like he'd been away from the hospital too long the way it was. "Thank you. I'll keep you informed of how the investigation is progressing."

Sean and Haley exchanged quick glances.

"David, are you going to tell Aaron about us?" Haley asked, she blushed as she attempted to maintain dignity in an awkward situation.

Not inclined to make it overly easy on them, David shrugged. "I'm not going to lie for you, but I won't bring it up unless it's necessary." He could help but add a jibe. "I think he's already hurt enough, don't you?"

There was nothing much either of them could say after that, so David saw himself to the door. He nodded again to the vigilant agent keeping watch at the house and hurried to the car. Once he was on his way back to the hospital, David checked in with JJ and found that there'd been no change in Hotch's condition. He next tried to reach Strauss again, but had to leave a message. Although he had yet to speak face to face with the woman, David was doing everything he could to keep her in the loop, knowing that Aaron would pay for it later if he didn't.

David made short work of the commute back to the hospital and, once there, made a beeline for the family lounge near Aaron's room. All the other team members were already there, a fact which made David narrow his eyes in anger.

"Who's with Hotch?" He demanded.

Prentiss answered. "I was until the doctor came in to do an exam. She kicked me out. Agent Booth is guarding the door."

Her response made David realize he'd overreacted. He nodded at her, hoping he looked as sheepish as he felt. "Good. Okay, what do we have?"

"There's no way this was a revenge attack," Morgan opened up the discussion.

"Go on," David had been thinking along the same lines, but wanted to hear the younger agent's reasoning.

"The UNSUB had Hotch totally under his control for three days." Morgan explained. "If it were a revenge rape, then he would have ripped Hotch apart. Instead, he took time to make sure minimal damage was inflicted."

Prentiss made a small sound of distress. "You call that minimal damage?"

Morgan didn't back down. "Hell, yeah. Rapists don't prep their victims, they're only concerned with their own needs. Sure, Hotch is sore, but physically, he's relatively intact. That's typical of a Power Reassurance Rapist."

"Unless the UNSUB were unusually subtle," Spencer countered. "Being made helpless would be particularly hard for someone with Hotch's personality. If he'd had a chance to fight back, Hotch would feel less victimized. In that case, the mental torture would have been the intent, not the physical."

"That's awfully roundabout," JJ disagreed. "Would an UNSUB really take the risk that holding Hotch for days in his own home would bring, only to sit back and wait for the aftermath to take its toll?"

"For what it's worth, I agree with Morgan," David stepped in. "This feels more like a stalker or a personal obsession, not revenge."

It was Garcia's turn to be frustrated. "You mean I've been going over all those old records for nothing?"

"Hardly nothing," David corrected her. "Even if we theorize we're looking for a Power Reassurance Rapist, we still have to pinpoint where the UNSUB met Aaron and Hotch's FBI work is the most likely point of contact. This guy was too good for Hotch to have been the first man he attacked."

"So maybe this UNSUB was a suspect on a previous case?" Garcia asked.

"That's one possibility," Rossi told her. "Or it could have been someone in law enforcement."

It was a thought that had been mentioned before, but was still disturbing. The others became quiet at the idea of a cop or even another agent attacking one of their own.

"What we're looking for is anyone who may have taken an unusual interest in Hotch or seemed too fascinated with a sex-related crime," David instructed Garcia. "I'm sure when Hotch starts feeling better, he can help us pinpoint some possibilities."

"Hotch is a good-looking guy," Prentiss spoke up. When the others looked at her oddly, she blushed. "What I mean is that it could be someone he met at the dry cleaner's or the gym. If we just focus on case-related prospects, we could be missing our UNSUB."

"Point taken and that's why we're going to work several angles." David outlined his plan. "Morgan, you and JJ look into previous cases. I want you to look at every rape case Hotch has worked on, as a federal prosecutor or an agent, where the victim was male. You know what we're looking for." He turned to Prentiss and Reid. "I want the two of you to pursue any other contacts Hotch currently has. I want background checks on his neighbors, on the delivery guy for his favorite pizza place and, yes, the dry cleaners too."

"I can help with all of that," Garcia offered. David smiled at her. After her own experience at being shot and the team rallying around her, no doubt Penelope was eager to return the favor.

"I know you can, but you'll also be working with me," David explained. "We'll be doing Hotch's victimology." Garcia gulped at that and Morgan flinched. Having been through the experience himself, he no doubt sympathized.

Seeing the doctor walking by, David rapidly closed the meeting, agreeing to meet Garcia later in the day and sending the rest of the team on their own assignments. He left the lounge and saw that the doctor had stopped at the nurse's station. David caught up with her there.

"Ah, Agent Rossi," Doctor Anthony greeted him. "I had a feeling you'd be wanting an update."

The doctor led David to a small conference room.

"How is he doing?" David asked.

"As well as can be expected," she answered, smiling faintly. "I know that's not what you wanted to hear, but it's going to take some time. Physically, the drug is almost cleared his system, but we're going to keep observing Agent Hotchner for the time being. Being drugged that deeply for a period of days can be dangerous. Other than that, he's sore, so I've ordered a therapeutic bath; we've a whirlpool tub in our physical therapy department that should work nicely."

"And mentally?" David reluctantly asked. "We need to get his input on who may have attacked him.

Her expression showed her understanding at the need for it. "Agent Hotcher's been through a severe emotional trauma, but he seems eager to catch whoever did this. I'd say you're safe to discuss it with him, but I'd let him take it at his own pace. We have a rape counselor scheduled to come in to speak with him in the morning."

"Understood," David agreed. "I'll let Hotch dictate how much he can take when giving a formal statement, but knowing him, he'll be better able to handle it better than I will."

She frowned at that comment. "Then it'll be up to you to make sure he doesn't push too much."

"I'll do my best," David agreed, knowing full well that it might be a futile promise. Hotch was too stubborn for his own damn good.

It turned out to be a moot point. By the time David got back to Hotch's room, Aaron was fast asleep. David had work to do, a lot of it, to catch the man responsible for the troubled expression on Hotch's face. The trauma wouldn't leave him, even asleep.

David settled into the chair by Hotch's bed. His work could wait, at least for a few minutes. Hotch wouldn't even know he was there, David didn't fool himself on that count. He was selfish enough not to care.

Aaron wasn't the only one who needed comfort at the moment.

*  
*  
*

Aaron Hotchner wasn't used to being idle. Not only did it seem wasteful, but not having anything to do gave him far too much time to think. Not that he didn't have a lot to think about, given his current situation, but it was futile. The drug the UNSUB had given him had done its job well. Try as he might, Aaron couldn't remember anything after falling asleep on the airplane during the trip back from San Francisco.

Frustrated, Aaron shifted his body restlessly, the constant ache from his fever making him uncomfortable, and then winced as the movement caused pain to radiate up his spine. Pain, Aaron could deal with, but the nature of the pain and not remembering how it was inflicted weighed upon him.

His morning had started with giving David Rossi his official statement, another practice in futility. David had been understanding, his eyes kind as he led Aaron through a series of questions designed to prompt memories, but it had been useless. The UNSUB had rendered Hotch helpless, not only with the rape itself, but taking away any hope Aaron had of helping to catch him. That rankled.

A visit from the rape counselor had continued the morning's unpleasantness. She seemed competent enough and had apologized for not being a specialist in male rape cases, but Aaron just couldn't connect with her. He'd cooperated, but acknowledged to himself that he was going through the motions. He was seasoned enough in such cases to know that he'd never be approved back for field work if he didn't jump through the appropriate hoops.

He didn't know what frightened him more, that he couldn't remember what had happened to him or the prospect of having his job taken away from him because of it. Aaron had lost his relationships with his wife and son because of his work; to lose his position in the BAU would render that sacrifice null. Aaron had no idea of what he'd do if that happened.

What he should be doing at the moment was studying case files, but the counselor had put an end to that activity. She'd been appalled that David had Aaron involved in the investigation itself. Aaron was certain that he'd seen a glint of rebellion in David's eye at that pronouncement and for a few minutes he'd been relieved when David had taken the counselor out to the corridor to 'discuss' the issue. Unfortunately, the counselor had apparently won that argument. David had come back in only briefly and told Hotch to rest. Aaron had been checked on throughout the day by various team members, but they'd been unified in their unwillingness to discuss his case. Aaron would have been touched at their concern if he hadn't been so frustrated by its results.

Aaron flinched as the door to his room abruptly opened. The hospital staff and his team members had taken to prefacing their entrance with a short knock, no doubt in deference to his ordeal. It didn't overly surprise Aaron, then, to see who came in without using that basic courtesy.

"Director Strauss," he greeted his visitor. He didn't offer his hand and hoped that it would be attributed to his injured wrists.

She nodded at him. "Agent Hotchner. I wanted to visit and personally tell you how sorry I was to hear of your. . . . situation."

Her composure cracked a little as she struggled to find a word suitable to Hotch's predicament.

The last thing he wanted to do was to talk to his boss, but Aaron kept his voice even as he replied. "Thank you."

"You have the full support of the Bureau as you recover," Strauss assured him. "I'm looking into assigning a temporary unit chief for the BAU to fill in until you can return to work."

Aaron didn't doubt that in the slightest. No doubt Strauss would take the opportunity to put her own creature in place; he only hoped he could return to his position when he was cleared for duty.

"Thank you," Aaron kept the irony out of his voice. "I appreciate the concern."

"You can take your time coming back," Strauss told him. "After all, we wouldn't want another incident like Elle Greenaway."

A soft knock at the door saved Hotch from having to make a reply. David Rossi entered, the picture of politeness, but knowing him well, Hotch could tell that the older man was seething underneath his calm exterior.

"Director Strauss, could I see you for a moment?" David asked.

"Of course," Strauss gave Hotch one of her thin smiles. "I hope your recovery continues, Agent Hotchner."

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief as she left the room, David hot on her heels. Rossi looked at Hotch over his shoulder as he left, but Aaron wasn't overly reassured. He appreciated David watching his back, professionally, while he was down, but didn't particularly want anyone to fight his fights for him.

Hotch didn't have the energy or inclination to do anything but lie there, so he could easily hear the sound of raised voices near his room. One was female and the other a male rumble. Knowing it was probably Strauss and Rossi, Aaron gathered himself to get up and deal with the situation. Before he could, though, another soft knock came on the door. This time it was Derek Morgan who walked in.

"Oh, no, you don't," Morgan chided him. "Rossi's big boy, he can take care of Strauss all by his lonesome. You don't needing to be getting out of that bed."

Aaron glowered. "I don't need David Rossi to run interference for me with my boss."

Morgan chuckled. "Strauss can't touch Rossi; he's a profiling rock star. The man plays golf with the head of Homeland Security. He's too well connected in too many high places for her to mess with, the way she does you. Rossi knows that and she knows that he knows it. Just relax; you've got more important things to take care of right now. Rossi'll make sure your job is still there for when you're ready."

Knowing the other man was right, Aaron sank back against the bed. Seeing Morgan made Aaron think of something else that had been weighing on his mind of late. It wasn't a subject that Hotch was particularly keen on raising, but the two of them were alone and he didn't know how many such opportunities he'd have.

"Derek," Hotch said quietly. He kept his eyes down to where his hands were nervously playing with the edge of the blanket. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" The confusion was evident in Morgan's voice and, with a sigh, Aaron lifted his gaze to meet Derek's.

"You went through all of this," Hotch gestured around the hospital room, "when you were a boy. I don't think I ever gave you enough credit for coming through the experience as intact as you did."

Morgan settled into the chair next to Aaron's bed. "Apples and oranges, man. What I went through was nothing like what happened to you."

Aaron shook his head. "It was worse. You were a child and the man who hurt you was someone you trusted."

"I'm not saying that what Buford did to me wasn't bad," Morgan protested. "I'm just saying that what you went through was bad too. Don't assume it's not just because you're an adult."

Hotch didn't answer, not wanting to antagonize Morgan. He wasn't just an adult; he was an FBI agent who'd made a career out of catching men like the one who'd assaulted him. Never would he have thought that he would be such easy prey.

"For what it's worth, I think you're doing the right thing," Morgan continued. "Seeing the psychiatrist. Knowing what I do now, I was foolish not to tell anyone and try to deal with it on my own." He shrugged. "But like you said, I was a kid and kids do stupid things."

Aaron hadn't had the option to not report the rape, that decision was another thing he lost control of when Rossi and Morgan had found him unconscious. He liked to think he would have had the courage to report it anyway, but deep down, he wasn't so sure.

"Look, I'm gonna let you rest," Morgan offered when Aaron didn't respond to him. Outside, Hotch could hear that the loud voices had quieted. Either the fight was over or they'd moved to another location.

"Thank you, Derek," Aaron stated quietly as Morgan headed out.

Morgan didn't ask what he was being thanked for. "Anytime."

After the younger man left, Hotch tried again to find a comfortable position. He didn't know how Morgan did it, coming into the office every day after word had gotten out that he'd been molested as a child. Like other law enforcement officials, FBI agents knew better than the average civilian that the victim was not to blame in a sexual attack. Hotch wasn't worried about his immediate team, but they worked with law officials of various types, all over the country. Who knew how he would be perceived if it became common knowledge.

Hotch could only hope he could handle it with as much grace as Derek had and not, as Strauss had mentioned, become another Elle Greenaway.

*  
*  
*

The BAU team had taken over the small hospital lounge near Hotch's room as their own. Given the synergy that often existed between law enforcement and medical staff, the hospital personnel was more than happy to let them. Unfortunately, they weren't having as much luck with the investigation itself.

Hotch had been discovered on Monday. It was Wednesday and, while they had a couple of leads, nothing that was particularly solid. Yet again, David brought the team together in the hopes that brainstorming would shake something loose.

"We've been through Hotch's old cases, but there aren't many that deal with male rape," Morgan started them out.

"What about Andrew Rose?" David asked. He was one UNSUB that David remembered from an old case and had directed Morgan to check out.

"Rose would be perfect, but he's still locked up," Morgan reported. "He was the UNSUB in one of Hotch's earliest cases, wasn't he?"

"That's right," David nodded, remembering.

Hotch had been younger then and exactly fit the profile of the type of man that Rose preferred. David had sent Hotch in to question him and Rose had been so distracted that getting a confession had been relatively easy. Rose hadn't let it drop, though, even after being convicted. Hotch had gotten explicit letters for months afterwards, until he'd finally gotten a restraining order.

"We're cross-referencing the various law enforcement officials that Hotch has come into contact over the years," Prentiss added. "But it's difficult to track. Often, just the detective is listed on a case." They all knew that they came into far more contact than that when working a case.

"And no one stood out in Hotch's memory as being too attentive," David supplied. Aaron didn't use profiling in his personal life, but was hyper aware during a case.

"How about the victimology?" JJ asked. From the sudden silence of the others, David knew they'd all been wanting to ask.

Garcia had done most of the work, so David nodded at her to give her permission to speak. She gulped, but spoke despite her obvious discomfort.

"Hotch is squeaky clean, no surprise there," Garcia began. "From what we can tell, he works and he goes home once in a while to shower and change. There are no extracurricular activities, no hobbies, no nothing."

Morgan frowned. "Then why do you look like a cat in a room full of rocking chairs?"

Garcia looked mutely at David, who shrugged. She bit her lip before blurting, "Hotch wasn't always Hotch."

"That doesn't make sense," JJ stated, voicing the confusion they all clearly felt.

"What Penelope means is that Aaron was born Aaron Miller and not Aaron Hotchner," David explained. "He was the only witness to his birth father beating his birth mother to death with a tire iron. Joseph Hotchner was the prosecuting attorney on the case and he and his wife adopted Aaron after Aaron's father was sentenced."

"That explains some things," Emily murmured. "How old was he when it happened?"

"Five at the time of the murder," David explained. "Seven during the trial. By all accounts, it was Aaron's testimony that got the conviction."

"Do you really think the birth father could have had anything to do with it?" JJ asked. "It seems like an awfully long time to wait for revenge."

"He died in a prison fight over ten years ago, so unless it's revenge from the grave, we can rule him out," David shrugged. "I'll be having a discussion with Aaron's adoptive mother; I believe there are some issues there regarding her resenting her husband bringing Aaron into the family."

David was about to divide the team into assignments again, when he realized that someone was hovering at the door. He assumed it was the doctor or a nurse and turned eagerly, anxious to get an update on Hotch's condition. From Emily's gasp of surprise and Spencer's soft exclamation, he knew before he finished his movement that he was wrong about who it was.

Jason Gideon stood there, staring at them with characteristic intensity.

"How could this happen?" Gideon demanded as he strode into the room. "Where were all of you when Hotch needed you?"

From the icy demeanors from those around him, David knew he wasn't the only one who took issue with Gideon's attitude.

"I think the question is," David stated calmly, "where the hell were you?"

Gideon flinched. "Tell me."

Speaking as dispassionately as he could, David filled Gideon in on the details. Gideon wiped a hand across his face as David's explanation wound down, visibly deflating as Rossi spoke. When he lifted his head to meet David's gaze, there was a lot less fire and more weariness in his expression than before. "How is he?"

David shrugged. "Physically, he's doing pretty good. We're just waiting for the doctor to give us an indication of when he can be released."

Jason pounced on his choice of words. "Physically? How's he doing emotionally?"

"He's Hotch," Rossi stated. "He's hurting, but he's hiding it."

"And how's Haley taking it?" Gideon asked. "Thank God she and Jack weren't home." The team exchanged uncomfortable glances, something that Jason readily picked up on. "What?"

"They're divorced," JJ explained gingerly. "Mrs. Hotchner and Jack were home when the attack happened, just in a different home that Hotch was in."

"Yeah, she left him about the same time you did," Morgan pointed out, folding his arms across his chest and looking at Gideon coldly.

David knew there was a reason he liked Morgan.

A myriad of emotions passed over Gideon's face, but David didn't have the opportunity to try and puzzle them out. Dr. Anthony came to the door and looked at them expectantly.

"Is this a bad time?" She asked.

"No, not at all," David reassured her. He gestured to Gideon. "This is Jason Gideon, the holder of Agent Hotchner's healthcare directive."

She smiled at newcomer. "I'm sure the others have told you already, Special Agent Gideon, that Special Agent Hotcher is conscious and the health care directive is no longer needed."

"Thank you for the news, but it's just Gideon," Jason corrected her. "I'm not with the FBI."

"Is Hotch ready to be released?" Rossi asked.

Dr. Anthony turned towards him, as though thankful to be out of the awkward moment with Gideon. "His fever is lower, showing that the antibiotics are doing their work with the original stab wound. I would feel comfortable releasing him tomorrow, but I'd rather he not be alone just yet."

"He can stay with me."

"He can stay with me."

Rossi glared at Jason, not liking that the other man had made the same statement as him and at the same time. "You just got back, are you sure that's wise?"

"My cabin will be perfect," Gideon claimed. "It'll be quiet and give Hotch a place to heal. It's remote enough that no one will bother him."

"The same cabin you had fifteen years ago? I remember that place and it's too remote," David countered. "The UNSUB is still out there and your cabin would be too hard to protect."

Jason bristled. "I have a security system."

"It's not enough," Morgan supported Rossi. "Remember, Gideon, one UNSUB's reached you there the way it is. We just can't take that risk."

"I have an apartment," Gideon replied stubbornly, then his expression softened. "At least, I used to."

"We saw boxes marked 'Gideon' in Hotch's garage," Spencer spoke up for the first time. He looked ready to jump out of his own skin and David remembered hearing that the young man had taken Gideon's departure hard. "You probably lost your apartment and Hotch took care of it without telling the rest of us."

"He'll stay with me," Rossi stated firmly. He looked at Garcia. "I have a security system too, but would you be willing to look at it for me?"

"Can do," she nodded. "I'll have it standing up and singing by the time I'm done." She looked at Morgan. "I might need to borrow your muscles if I need to add some components."

"Whatever you need," Rossi told her, answering before Morgan could. "Spare no expense."

"I'm glad that's settled," Dr. Anthony said. "I'll sign off on Special Agent Hotchner being discharged tomorrow, although I'm sure he'll need to maintain therapy appointments on an outpatient basis, as well as follow-up with his primary physician about the stab wound and wrist injuries." She smiled at Rossi. "You're going to have your hands full. He's quite determined to get back to work."

"You have no idea," Prentiss murmured.

"I'll go over some instructions with you before Special Agent Hotchner leaves," Dr. Anthony told David. "Somehow I get the feeling that you'll be more likely to pay attention to them than he will."

After she left, David turned to the rest of the team to make sure they knew their assignments. "Morgan, I want you to help Garcia with the security system at my house. Prentiss and Reid, I need you to continue looking at old case files. JJ, I need you to work up a security schedule. I'm not sure how long Strauss will sign off on a protection detail for Hotch, let alone a second one for his family."

"I'm sure there'll be a lot of volunteers," JJ replied. "I'll make sure word gets around."

"I want to help," Jason said.

"You're not an agent any more," David pointed out.

Gideon snorted. "But I'm still his friend."

With uncanny timing, someone else entered the conference room. "Dave, I just thought of something-. . . . "

Aaron Hotchner broke off what he was going to say when he got a good look at who was standing in front of him. He was wearing a hospital gown, with an equally utilitarian robe over it. Hotch was a little sweaty from the remaining fever and he was moving with an uncharacteristic limp. David could only imagine what drove Hotch out of his hospital room and into a more public setting. Whatever it was, it was clearly forgotten once Aaron got a good look at Gideon.

"Jason?" Hotch went a shade paler than he already was.

Gideon's expression softened and he moved slowly towards the other man. "Oh, my friend, I'm so sorry this happened to you."

As David watched, Gideon did what Rossi had been wanting to do since the whole nightmare started. Jason wrapped his arms around Hotch and held him in a loose hug. For a moment, Hotch stood stiffly in the circle of Gideon's embrace, but then he relaxed into it. David could see Hotch's shoulders shake as he grabbed onto Jason like the older man was a lifeline.

"Let's give them some privacy," David told the others quietly.

They quietly exited the room. David was the last to go and looked longingly over his shoulder as he walked out. He'd called Jason Gideon because he knew that Hotch was going to need every bit of support that he could muster. David told himself that it was important that Hotch have someone he would allow himself to be comforted by, far more important than who that someone was. Even if that someone was Jason Gideon and not David Rossi.

Damn it.

*  
*  
*

Aaron hadn't realized how much he'd missed being touched. He wasn't the type of person to encourage casual physical contact and, even before Haley left, sexual intimacy had been nonexistent between the two. Hugs from his little boy were about the only affection Aaron had received for months and, thanks to the custody arrangement, those were few and far between.

So when Gideon's arms first came around him, Aaron's first instinct had been to freeze. Part of it was shock at seeing the other man there, but no doubt some of it was muscle memory from the rapes. In short order, though, the warmth of Jason's body seeped into Aaron, reminding him that touch could be good too. With a gasp, Aaron gave himself over fully into the sensation of being held.

He hadn't felt so secure since first awakening in the hospital and having David help him through his reaction at learning of being attacked in his son's room. Unlike that instance, however, Aaron's body didn't completely rebel and there was no embarrassing vomiting. Hotch did lose a little awareness of his surroundings, though. When he next became truly cognizant of his where he was, he was seated next to Jason, with his upper body being supported by the other man. A hand ran rhythmically through his hair and Jason was murmuring gently.

Aaron must have stiffened a little because the petting stopped.

"Are you with me again?" Jason's voice sounded concerned.

"I guess so," Aaron wouldn't look at Jason. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Jason snorted. "Being human?"

Aaron forced himself to meet Jason's eyes. "Are you okay?"

Gideon's face went blank with disbelief. "Am I okay?"

"Yes," Aaron looked away again. "You left rather suddenly and wouldn't answer Spencer's calls. The whole team was worried about you."

"Worried or just pissed off?" Jason ignored his own question. "I'm fine. After Sarah's death, I needed some space from the job to heal."

"And did you?" Aaron asked, looking at the other man. "Heal?"

Jason shrugged. "I'm better." He gazed at Hotch pointedly. "Better enough to know when you're avoiding talking about something."

Aaron felt himself flush and turned away again. "Did Spencer call you about what happened?"

"No, David Rossi did." Aaron looked back in alarm at that comment and Jason chuckled softly at his reaction. "It was an interesting message."

Knowing that the two older profilers had often butted heads, Aaron winced. "I bet it was. I'm sorry, Jason."

"Don't be," Jason replied firmly. "You're my friend, Aaron. This is where I need to be right now."

Internally, Aaron wondered if it was also where Jason wanted to be, but he really didn't want to know if the other man had returned merely out of a sense of duty. "Thank you."

Jason looked uncharacteristically hesitant. "They told me about Haley, Aaron. I'm sorry about the divorce."

Hearing his ex-wife's name suddenly made Aaron very aware of the fact that he was essentially half draped over Jason's body, He sat up and brushed the folds of his gown and robe into order, wishing that there were more than two thin layers of fabric separating him from Gideon. "You said it yourself, the marriage was doomed; it was only a matter of time.

"That doesn't make it any easier," Jason responded sadly. "Believe me, I know."

Aaron nodded and briskly changed the subject. "Do you have a place to stay? I have the things from your apartment in my garage."

"I know, Spencer told me," Gideon answered.

Hotch's stomach clenched. Of course they'd gone through his house with a fine-toothed comb. He had nothing to hide, especially from his own team, but it felt like another violation.

"You could stay with me," Aaron offered. He had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, it would be comforting to have someone he trusted near. On the other, he had an urge to hole up by himself.

"Actually, you'll be staying with David Rossi," Jason told him.

Hotch sat up straighter, ignoring the way the movement caused pain to radiate both from the stab wound and his ass. "Oh, I will?"

Jason reached out as if to put a hand on Hotch's shoulder, but dropped it before he could complete the movement. "You can't honestly tell me that you want to go back to that house? Not after what happened."

"No, not really," Aaron relaxed a little, but still glared at Jason defiantly. "But neither do I like decisions about where I'll live being made without my input."

"Understood," Jason nodded. "But you need something more private than a hotel and my cabin was deemed too remote by our safety expert."

There was a tentative knock on the door and David himself stuck his head inside. "Everything all right in here?"

"I understand that I'm to live with you once I'm released," Hotch turned his irritation onto Rossi. "When you were planning on notifying me of that little fact?"

David stepped fully into the room and shut the door behind him. "Right about the time the prodigal son there showed up."

Gideon snorted, but didn't protest.

"Look, Hotch, your house is a crime scene; no one's going to be living there for the time being," David explained. "Strauss is allowing the team to investigate your case and has consented to a protective detail for now, but we both know that won't continue forever and she'd never spring for use of a safe house. It was either my place or a hotel and, call me spoiled, but I think we spend too much time in hotels."

Rossi's reasoning was perfectly sound, but Aaron hated it anyway. "I do not need a babysitter."

David spread his hands wide. "Did I say anything about babysitting?"

"If this had happened to Spencer," Jason added quietly. "Would you allow him to slink off to a hotel? Alone?"

Aaron didn't like Jason's comparison any more than he did Rossi's reasoning. "I'm not Spencer." Even he recognized the petulant tone of his voice and sighed. "But I do see your point."

"Good," David looked relieved, but only for a moment. "Gideon, there's room for you too."

"Me?" Jason sounded surprised.  
   
"Like we said earlier, your cabin is too far away," David didn't appear to be too happy about what he was suggesting. "We need all the help we can get on this one; having you closer is a bonus. You're not with the Bureau anymore, but we could another profiler."

"All right," Jason nodded slowly. "That will make things a lot easier."

Aaron wasn't sure he liked the latest turn of events. On one hand, something in him eased at the thought of having Jason Gideon near. On the other, Gideon and Rossi had just double-teamed him about the living arrangements; Aaron wasn't sure he wanted to be in a position to be ganged up on again.

"Maybe we should get you back to your room," Jason suggested to Hotch. "You're looking a little pale."

"This is the first time he's been out and about," David protested. "The change in scenery will do him good."

Hotch shook his head, but internally he relaxed. Gideon and Rossi were often like oil and water. Hopefully, there wouldn't be too many issues they agreed on, at least as far as Aaron's care was concerned.

As the discussion continued around him, Aaron closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. The UNSUB that had attacked him had stripped Aaron of more than clothing. He'd taken Aaron's sense security, his sense of self worth and even taken the ability to make choices about his own care.

Aaron could only hope, in the weeks and months to come, that he'd find a way to regain everything he'd lost.

~to be continued~


	3. Chapters 3 and 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently received some feedback (thanks, Rasputin) suggesting that if I wasn't going to finish the story, I could at least explain what would have happened. Since I wrote the first two parts in 2009, it seems unlikely at this point that I will finish, so I'm going to share what I had in mind for the story.
> 
> This is less polished than I usually post and you'll see that some sections were clearer to me than others. Still, I hope you can get a sense of what the complete story would have looked like.

Part 3  
Hotch is released from the hospital and reluctantly allows his team to take him to Rossi’s house. He’s still not happy about it and gets even grumpier when Rossi insists on giving Hotch the master bedroom. As Rossi explains, however, all of the bedrooms in his mansion are nice and have their own bathrooms, but only the master has a tub large enough to fit a man of Hotch’s height. When he’s by himself in the room, though, Hotch admits to himself that he feels safer being surrounded by Rossi’s things.

At first, Rossi leads the team’s investigations from his home, but that becomes a problem when Hotch stays in the bedroom. Realizing that it’s bad to allow Hotch to isolate himself, Rossi moves the investigation back to the office. Jason remains at the house with Hotch, with at least one agent in a car stationed outside the house.

The investigation doesn’t go well. There are too many people to investigate and going through them is slower than anyone wants. If it were another case, they’d say they needed to wait until the UNSUB struck again, but with the little evidence they have showing that it was a targeted attacked against Hotch, no one likes the idea of that.

At Rossi’s house, Jason does his best to draw Hotch out. He notices that Hotch isn’t eating much and that leads to a conversation that Hotch tries to make into a confrontation, but Gideon lets the other man’s anger roll right off of him. He points out that Hotch is a man who likes to be in control and, thanks to the UNSUB, everything is out of Hotch’s control. Not eating is not only a way for Hotch to regain control, but is also a way for him to punish his body for letting him down by not remembering. Hotch grimaces and says he now knows why no one likes profilers. But he does lighten up a little and also starts to eat something. His fever gradually goes away and his sprained wrists are healing.

As time goes on, Rossi starts getting pressure from Strauss to declare the case cold. Rossi argues, but the protection details are taken off Hotch as well as Haley and Jack. As Rossi leaves his office to tell the team, they get an unexpected visitor – Elle Greenaway. Since leaving the FBI she’s become a private detective and she’s there to offer to help. To the team’s dismay, Rossi agrees to it and says he’ll be paying her from his own pocket. She’s assigned to watch Haley and Jack.

With the protection detail removed, even with the team and other volunteers keeping watch on Rossi’s house, Rossi spends as much time at home as possible. He witnesses some of Hotch’s anger, when Hotch throws something breakable (A glass? Plate?) He has Hotch and Gideon follow him through the kitchen, where he hands each man an armful of plates or other dishware. They all go out to the backyard and take turns throwing them. Hotch protests the waste, but Rossi just shrugs and reminds Hotch he has more than enough money to replace it all. When they’re done, Rossi asks if Hotch feels better. Hotch says he does.

Hotch goes to counseling.

Rossi, Gideon and Hotch spend more time together and become very comfortable with each other. Hotch is healing and becomes more open. Gideon is restless and, despite his friendship with Rossi, he doesn’t agree with how Rossi’s books put the spotlight on criminals. Hotch suggests that Gideon write his own books, but with the emphasis being on the victims and survivors.

Hotch’s case is declared cold and the team is put back into rotation. No one but Strauss is happy about it.

Hotch, Gideon and Rossi become closer and fondness becomes attraction. Both of the older men let Hotch set the pace, but slowly hugs become longer lasting and chaste kisses are exchanged. Morgan comes in unannounced and has a shit fit when he sees Hotch sharing the couch with Rossi. (They’re either sitting facing each other with their feet tangled together or Hotch is leaning on Rossi.) He asks what the hell Gideon and Rossi are up to – they should know better. Hotch pulls him aside and does his best to assure him that what’s going on between the three of them is his choice and at his pace.

The relationship between the three hasn’t evolved beyond kissing and holding one another. Rossi and Gideon tell Hotch one evening that they need to talk. They tell him that they know he’s attracted to both of them and they don’t want to make things difficult for him. They’ll wait as long as he needs to make a choice and there will be no hard feelings, no matter what he decides, that he just needs to concern himself with what’s best for him. Hotch says he knows it’s selfish, but he wants both of them. Gideon and Rossi seem relieved and are enthusiastic about the idea.

Hotch is finally declared fit to go back to work and they get a case right away, one that requires travel. The tension on the flight is intense, but Hotch manages to get the others settled down. Rossi makes sure they have connected bedrooms and Hotch keeps in touch with Gideon via the phone. To say the rest of the team is hovering is an understatement. Gideon starts teaching profiling classes for the FBI again.  
Life goes on. Cases are solved, Gideon’s book is being written, and the three men have a comfortable relationship that is slowly but surely moving towards becoming an intimate one. Rossi continues to pay Elle Greenaway for acting as a bodyguard for Haley and Jack.

By the time the team gets a local case, everything was close to normal. Hotch’s team is less likely to hover and Hotch was interacting on his own with some local PD. Walking alone back to the station where they’d been working, Hotch hears the sounds of a child crying and walks down an alley to investigate. The alley appears empty and when Hotch tracks the noise to its source, he discovers a cell phone that is broadcasting the sound. Realizing that he’d been set up, Hotch reaches for his gun, but is grabbed from behind. Hotch is a big guy, but the UNSUB is bigger.

A hand with a cloth goes over Hotch’s mouth and he starts to losing consciousness, Hotch hears someone whisper in his ear. “I’ve been looking forward to see you again, SSA Hotchner.”

Part 4  
It didn’t take long for the team to realize that Hotch was missing. While they didn’t hover anymore, they did tend to keep a close eye on him. Rossi realized it first, but the news ran through the team like wildfire. Garcia is soon called to do a trace on his phone. The results lead them to the alley, where they find both Hotch’s phone and the decoy. The case is put on the back burner while the search for Hotch begins.

As for Hotch, he wakes up in a small space. He can’t see anything and soon realizes that he’s blindfolded. He tries to remove it, only to discover that his hands are tied to – something. All Hotch can tell is that his arms are stretched out in front of him and that he’s on his stomach, bent over something soft. He tries to move his feet, but those are bound too. He forces himself to stay calm, but still jumps when a hand is placed on the small of his back.

“I can almost see your mind working,” a voice says. Hotch can tell that the person speaking to him is male and that he’s obviously using some sort of voice modifier. “That’s just one of the many characteristics that showed that you were the one for me.”

Hotch wants to take control of the conversation, but he’s been gagged as well.

As his abductor talks, Hotch feels the touch of cold metal as a pair of scissors are used to cut his clothes off. He tries to struggle, but not only is he bound, but his body seems very sluggish.

His abductor assures Hotch that the effect is only temporary and is due to some muscle relaxants he’d been given. He finishes cutting Hotch’s clothes off and then starts preparing Hotch with lubricant.

The UNSUB explains he’s sorry for the hurry, but he’s confident that Hotch’s team will find him soon. 

Hotch forces his mind to stay present during the preparation and subsequent rape. Even with the voice modifier, the speech pattern seems familiar. Hotch does his best to catalog all of the physical characteristics he can detect in spite of the blindfold.

His abductor finishes and the spent man drapes himself across Hotch’s back. Hotch realizes two things, one, that the UNSUB has used a condom and, two, that his rapist had again been careful not to do any serious damage to Hotch. He soon realizes why.

The UNSUB apologizes for not being able to take his time with Hotch, but again mentions that he knows that Hotch’s team will be hot on his trail. He goes on to say that he’s been proving himself as worthy of Hotch. He says that they will soon be able to be together all the time.

The UNSUB gets off Hotch and Hotch can hear him dressing. The UNSUB comes back and whispers to him about seeing him again soon. Hotch feels a pinch and realizes he’s been injected with something. As he loses consciousness, Hotch feels a fine mist hitting his skin is overwhelmed by the smell of bleach. He mentally kicks himself for having been so easily taken unaware.

As for the team, they got a lead on a van that had been seen in the area. Garcia traces it via CCTV to a local carpeting company, who had reported it stolen the day before. The crime wasn’t a high priority for the police, but is for Hotch’s team. The van had been outfitted with a lojack and Garcia quickly used it to trace the van to an abandoned warehouse on the other side of the city. The BAU rush there, along with a SWAT team. The van is easily located and the SWAT team’s heat sensors show that there’s only one person inside and that person is on the floor. Rossi insists on going in first and is both relieved and horrified to find a completely naked Hotch huddled on the floor, smelling strongly of beach. It’s with a sense of déjà vu that he calls out for an ambulance to be sent.

The déjà vu continues on the way to the hospital

David is separated from Hotch once they reached the hospital. He’d already alerted Jason that Hotch had gone missing and he called the other man to tell him that Hotch’d been found – and in what condition he’d been found. It went straight to voicemail, so Rossi left a message that Hotch had been recovered and was at hospital, although his injuries weren’t life threatening. He didn’t feel it was right to tell Jason exactly that had happened over the phone.

The rest of the team trickles in, looking as shell-shocked as Rossi feels. There is discussion of how it could have happened and, more importantly, what the UNSUB is trying to achieve. Is it torture or something else? A rough voice from the doorway interrupts them.

“I can take you in your home and I can take you while you work,” Jason intones, eyes haunted. “You are mine and there is nowhere you can go that I cannot reach you.”

Rossi pulls Gideon aside to give him the details he’s aware of, but it’s obvious that Gideon has figured the basics out. “This is going to kill him, David.”

“No, it won’t, we won’t let it,” Rossi sounds as confident as he can, but has doubts himself.

The doctor comes out to speak to them and goes over Hotch’s injuries. There is little trauma from the rape, but there are marks on his wrists and ankles that show that he fought his bindings as best as he was able. Like last time, both wrists are sprained, as are his ankles. A rape kit has been done, but the bleach wash most likely damaged anything of value. The blood work has shown that he has both a muscle relaxant and a mild sedative in his system. Hotch is already showing signs of coming around.

Both Gideon and Rossi want to be in the ER cubicle when Hotch wakes up, but Rossi has work to do. Gideon goes while Rossi gives the team their orders. Prentiss and Spencer will work with Garcia to continue to look for anything that might indicate who Hotch’s attacker was, while JJ and Morgan will go go back to where Hotch was found to see if there are any clues.

Next on Rossi’s list is to inform Strauss of what has happened. She has already heard, however, and shows up at the hospital. She insinuates that perhaps Hotch is playing out a fantasy with a willing partner and Rossi becomes furious. He contains his anger, however, and doesn’t hit Strauss. Instead, he warns her that he can afford some very high-priced attorneys and if she ever hints of something like that again, he’ll not only see to it that she loses her job, but he’ll ruin her financially as well.

Strauss isn’t very intimidated. She tells Rossi to make sure the team explores every avenue and leaves.

After she’s gone, Rossi makes his way to Hotch’s cubicle in the ER. He’s awake, if pale, and his eyes are red-rimmed. Jason is perched on the side of the bed, holding Hotch’s hand, but starts to move when Rossi comes in. Rossi waves him off and takes the chair on the other side.

“Aaron - . . . .” Rossi, starts, but Hotch interrupts him,

“Don’t say it,” Hotch interrupts him. “I got drawn in by a ruse that a rookie would have seen through.”

Rossi and Gideon argue with Hotch for a time, trying to convince him that he’s not a failure. Finally, Rossi gets Hotch to tell him as much as he could about the assault. When Hotch is done, Rossi is amazed at the amount of detail and gently taunts Hotch about how a failure could never have observed that much in the middle of an assault.

Hotch ignores Rossi’s comment and comes to conclusion. “The UNSUB is one of us.”

“Law enforcement?” Gideon asks.

“More specific,” Hotch corrects him. “The UNSUB is either in the FBI or has worked with extensively with the agency. He’s too familiar with the jargon to be anything else.” He took a deep breath before continuing. “And I know him.”

“We figured that,” Rossi reminded him. “That’s why he’s been so careful to hide his face and change his voice.”

“Not to mention the drugs he used.” Gideon asked.

“It’s more than that,’ Hotch shakes his head. “I know that I know him. . . . I just can’t place it.”

“You will,” Gideon assures him.

Rossi smiles. “that’s something that Jason and I can agree on.”

Knowing that the UNSUB is in the FBI will help narrow the search, but also make it more difficult to guard Hotch and to keep their investigation secret enough within the agency so that the UNSUB won’t be alerted.

It’s decided that Hotch will be kept overnight at the hospital so they have time to prepare.

Haley will be encouraged to take Jack to New York to be with Sean Hotchner, to stay out of the line of fire. Rossi will contact his friend, Jack Malone, to ask him to arrange protection for her. Malone is in the missing person division, but knows Hotch and Rossi knows he’ll be happy to help.

A safe house will be procured for Hotch, preferably from another agency, any of the FBI ones might be known to the UNSUB.  
Since they will be limited in whom they can trust, Hotch’s protection detail will be Jason and Elle Greenaway. Hotch is not happy about the arrangement, either with Elle being a part of it or being regulated to the sidelines, but is overridden by both Rossi and Gideon. Rossi promises that he’ll ask Garcia to rig up a untraceable laptop with remote access, so that Hotch can participate in the search from the safe house.

When Hotch is given a private room, both men opt to stay the night with him. A cot is brought in and Rossi and Gideon take turns keeping watch.

The next morning, both Elle Greenaway and Derek Morgan arrive at the same time and find Gideon in a seating area near Hotch’s room. Derek has a laptop and also a fresh set of FBI sweats for Hotch. He asks Gideon how Hotch is and Gideon shrugs and admits he really doesn’t know. He thinks that anger is helping Hotch keep his other emotions at bay. Morgan is awkward around Greenaway and leaves as soon as possible.

Gideon and Greenaway are left alone and Greenaway lifts her chin defiantly as Gideon observes her. 

“Rossi wants me here,” Greenaway states.

“I don’t care,” Gideon tells her. “Hotch doesn’t.”

“And you?”

“I see you as a necessary evil,” Gideon responds. He leans forward so that his elbows are on his knees. “That man has been through enough pain; you will not add to it.”

Elle looks offended. “I’m not here to cause pain.”

“Maybe so,” Gideon doesn’t look convinced. “Just see that you don’t.”

Hotch doesn’t look surprised to see Elle come into the room and seems too tired to be angry about it.

Rossi tells them that he’s secured an NCIS safe house, thanks to his friend, Gibbs. He gives the address to them and says he’ll meet them there later. He draws Gideon out to the corridor to discuss something. Moving slowly, Hotch takes the clothes and shuffles to the bathroom. Before he goes through the door, he looks at Greenaway. “Yes, I know better now why you shot that rapist.”

“I’m sorry you have to understand that,” Greenaway says.

“It’s my greatest fear,” Hotch admits, unusually vulnerable. “That I will make the choice you did.”

Rossi indicates that Garcia and her helpers have narrowed the list down considerably and the team will be going through the options for more detail. He will send the information on the most likely to Hotch via the laptop. He hugs Hotch and then Gideon before they separate.

Gideon is the one driving the SUV to the safe house, with Hotch in the passenger’s side. Greenaway is in the backseat. They are stopped at a red light and Gideon is confirming that Haley and Jack have safely made it to New York, when another vehicle t-bones them. The airbags deploy and Hotch blacks out momentarily. As he wakes up there is a ringing in his ears and he is only vaguely aware of the sounds of more breaking glass and cries of pain. He tries to push the fabric of the airbag away from him, but he’s still stunned from the impact and his whole body hurts, especially his injured wrists. “Jason?”

The door is yanked open, but instead of Jason Gideon, all Hotch sees is a gun. 

“Come with my quietly, Aaron, and I won’t be forced to kill your friends.” Hotch recognized the voice even though it wasn’t being modified. “Although I’m not sure Greenaway counts as a friend.”

Aaron looked beyond the gun to the face of the man who had assaulted him twice and flipped his world upside down. It was a disgustingly normal face and Hotch automatically categorized the features. White. Hazel eyes. Auburn hair. Freckles. Combined with the voice, Aaron finally remembered who his rapist was.

“Mark Williams,” Hotch breathed.

Williams grinned. “I knew you’d recognize me.”

Hotch barely remembered the man. It was when Greenaway was replaced. Williams had interviewed with Strauss and Hotch, but was woefully unqualified. Strauss had been brutal with her rejection, but Hotch spent more time with the candidate. Williams had worked in the white collar crime department and clearly was keenly interested in profiling. Hotch had recommended Jason’s classes and that Williams, who was tall but thin, concentrate building his physique. Hotch remembered spending maybe 10 minutes with the man and hadn’t seen him since, but had seen obsessions begin with less.

“I can see the excitement in your eyes, but well have to talk it over later,” Williams gestured impatiently with the gun. “Let’s go.”

Hotch glanced at Jason and back at Greenaway. They were unconscious and showed signs of being pistol whipped. When he looked back at Williams, he could see how unhinged the man was. He nodded and slowly moved out of the car.

Williams takes Hotch into his vehicle, a large SUV w/tinted windows. A chain has been installed on the floor of the passenger side, and Williams secures Hotch. They drive away, Hotch can hear sirens in the distance, but knows they’ll be gone before help can arrive. 

*

Back at the FBI building, the team gathers to find what Garcia’s found. The FBI has thousands of agents, but the number that are taller than Hotch are relatively few. There are still about a dozen to go through and they are in the process of doing so when Strauss comes in. 

Strauss isn’t happy that Hotch has already been sent to a safe house she’s unfamiliar with. While she talks to the team she looks over the photos of the men that Garcia has targeted as possible UNSUBs. She scoffs at one being included, Mark Williams is too milquetoast to be the UNSUB.

Garcia tapes around on her computer and gasps. Williams attends the profiling classes that Jason teaches. He’d also flown to San Francisco at about the same time that the team had been there months earlier - when Hotch had been stabbed. And, most telling, he’d been on personal leave for the last few days.

The team know they have their UNSUB and Garcia sends them all his address.

Rossi calls Gideon, only then realizing that either he or Hotch should have said they’d arrived at the safe house by that time. The call is unanswered the first time Rossi tries, but he immediately redials and it’s picked up – by a frantic Jason. Gideon tells Rossi what’s happened. Rossi says they’re on their way and the team, sans Garcia, head for the crash site.

*

Williams has driven Hotch to an unexpected locale – Jason’s cabin. Williams explains it’s the last place the team will look. He keeps a gun on Hotch the whole time.

To his relief, Hotch isn’t taken to the bedroom, but to the kitchen. Another chain has been installed in the floor and he’s secured there.

Williams goes on and on about how perfect they are for one another. Hotch stiffens when Williams brings up Haley and Williams notices.

“I’d never hurt her, Aaron,” Williams assures him. “She’s the mother of your child and Jack needs his mother when he’s so young.”

Hotch is reassured until Williams says that maybe he will have a baby with Haley, so that he and Hotch can finish raising Jack, along with a sibling.

Hotch knows that he should be placating Williams and feeding into his fantasy, but he just can’t make himself do it. Williams starts bragging about his plan and how perfect it is.

“You made one mistake,” Hotch points out.

Williams oozes confidence. “I have you here with me, alone, with your team totally lost on how to find you. What mistake did I make?”

Hotch grins back at him. “You picked the wrong guy to obsess on.”

*

The team has arrived at the crash site. Gideon is sitting in the back of the ambulance, refusing to let them take him to the hospital. Greenaway is unconscious on a stretcher being loaded onto another. As soon as he sees them, he waves off the EMTs.

“An SUV came out of nowhere,” Gideon explains. “It hit us, hard, and before we could recover, the driver was out and using a gun to assault us. Before I knew it, he was gone.” His face went hard. “But I got a look at the son of a bitch.”

“This him?” Rossi shows Gideon a picture of Williams that Garcia had sent to their phones.

Gideon looks at it and from the expression on his face, Rossi knows that it’s a match.

Morgan interrupts. “How did they find him? No one knew where the safe house was except for us.”

“And Gibbs,” Prentiss points out.

Rossi shakes his head. “Not an option, believe me.”

Eventually it is figured that Williams had somehow managed to put a tracker on Gideon’s phone. Garcia is able to use that information to track Williams’ phone and gasps when she gets her answer. She tells them that Williams’ phone is at Gideon’s cabin.”

The team makes for the cabin, shutting off sirens and lights as they get close. Gideon is able to tell them how to circumvent the security system – if it even works. He hasn’t been to the cabin in a while. They use great stealth to approach the cabin and surround it. 

When they finally storm the cabin and announce their presence, they find Hotch in the kitchen, sitting on a kitchen chair and looking the worse for wear. Looking even worse, however, is Mark Williams. He’s on the floor, handcuffed and chained to the floor. His ankles have been duck taped and he’s been gagged.

“What took you so long?” Hotch asks them.

The team takes care of Williams while Rossi and Gideon look after Hotch. He’s injured his arms worse, but there is a calm in his eyes that has been missing since the first assault. After Hotch asks how Greenaway is, he explains the fight with Williams. The man had buffed up, but hadn’t done much actual fighting and wasn’t very skilled physically. 

“You got him,” Rossi praised Hotch, putting a hand on one of Hotch’s shoulders.

Gideon put his hand on Hotch’s other shoulder. “And you didn’t kill him.”

They can’t be more demonstrative than that.

“Come on,” Rossi suggests. “Let’s go home.”

*

The team is having a get together at Rossi’s house some time later. After a delicious (and fancy) meal, Rossi raises his glass for a toast. “To Hotch.”

The others toast and Hotch clears his throat with an unusual shyness. “We have something else to toast.”

“We’re not telling everyone,” Rossi added.

“But this team is family,” Gideon continues, but then all three men fall silent.

“Well, come on, don’t leave us hanging,” Morgan teases. 

Rossi and Gideon look at Hotch, who straightens to his full height. “What David, Jason and I are trying to say is that we’re together.”

“Romantically,” Gideon clarifies.

Rossi chimes in. “As lovers.” 

The team is quiet for a moment, but then , with one exception, break out in hoots and hollering.

“It’s about time,” Prentiss grins.

“Pay up, pay up, people,” Morgan holds his hand out and the others dig in their purses to pay off what was an obvious bet.

“What, what do you mean?” Spencer is confused. “The three of you are. . . . dating?”

“Oh, honey, were you the last to know?” Garcia pats Spencer’s arm. “Our three team fathers are ‘together’ together.”

“I am not Gideon’s father,” Rossi protests, eyebrows shooting up. “And I’m not Hotch’s either.”

“No,” Hotch agrees. At first he’s solemn, but then gives an unusually wide grin, revealing the dimples that rarely have a chance to come out. “But I might let him be my daddy.”

There’s a longer moment of silence, but then Garcia snorts and everyone starts laughing.

“I could have gone the rest of my life without hearing that,” Morgan complains, even as he’s laughing so hard he can barely stand up straight.

Prentiss raises her hand. “I call dibs on Rossi.”

Gideon puts his arm around Rossi’s waist. “I thought we’d just established that he was taken?”

It’s Morgan that explains. “Haven’t you heard? When a team member gets into a relationship, there is an obligatory shovel talk.” He looks at Hotch. “I understand that Will is still scare of you.”

“So you’re the one giving me the shovel talk?” Rossi looked at Prentiss. “Good luck.”

“You’re forgetting the work I did in Europe,” Prentiss reminds him. “And you like to travel internationally. I know all sorts of spots around the globe to hide the body or bodies.” 

Rossi gulps.

It’s decided that they won’t announce who’s doing the shovel talks for Gideon and Hotch. From the way Spencer still looks confused, it’s a pretty good guess that it won’t be him.

The story ends with the team supporting Rossi, Hotch and Gideon’s relationship, Hotch having found his balance after the attacks, and fuzzy feelings all around.


End file.
